Let There be Light!
by Time-Warlock
Summary: During the chaos of the Blackest Night, a Green Lantern Power Ring escapes the DC universe. Who has the willpower to become a new Green Lantern? And was it the only one to escape? Across the ninja world, there will be light... and the dead will rise...
1. Prelude: The War of Light

Naruto

Let There be Light!

Prelude: The War of Light

I am Douj Sal, Green Lantern of Sector 849.

I am recording my thoughts so that my story will be saved in the Book of Oa should I...

No. I refuse to die. I am a Green Lantern. And I will fulfill my duty. I will not become one of them.

For years I guarded my sector with pride, bringing justice and order to the sentient beings that live there. I heeded Lantern Kilowog's training, and it never failed me. I followed the laws of the Book of Oa, the wisdom of the Guardians of the Universe, and so the green light kept peace in Sector 849.

That was before the advent of the other lights.

First there was the Sinestro Corps, servants of the renegade Green Lantern, and wielders of the yellow impurity. Wielders of fear. They were us, but killers. Our opposites. What we were not, they were.

Half my sector fell on that first war. My home would have fallen too, if not for the Guardians unveiling the first law of ten. Our rings, previously unable to kill, were now authorized to use lethal force against the Sinestros. I was one of the many who did not question the new law. I am not ashamed to say I felt satisfied each time my constructs felled a soldier of fear. When each yellow ring spoke "Ring status report: Sinestro deceased. Sector scan initated for replacement sentient," a wave of gleeful emotion swept over me.

Emotion. That's what all of this is about, isn't it? In the beginning, the Guardians discovered that sentient life also gave birth to an entire spectrum of emotions, manifested as the diffferent composite colors in a beam of visible light. They chose to harness the balance within the spectrum, the green light of willpower, to become the weapon for their new corps. For untold millenia did the Green Lantern Corps uphold the oath to the Guardians, to police the universe and bring peace. The other colors and emotions of the spectrum remained unknown to the corps and even the rest of the universe. That is, until the rise of the Sinestro Corps.

With the power of fear discovered, and the universe suddenly assailed by warriors with yellow rings, knowledge of the spectrum became far too common. Almost instantly, more corps appeared from the far reaches of the universe, each of them wielding a different light. I thought the Sinestros were ruthless, but even they paled against the atrocious, murderous rage of the Red Lanterns. Once again, we were at war. The Guardians tasked us to quell any new surges of emotion, both within ourselves and out in the universe; why, we did not truly know at the time. What began with the cyborg Alpha Lanterns within our corps became a grand crusade against emotion throughout the cosmos. Regardless, our efforts were for naught, for soon, the rest of the spectrum came to be revealed.

The orange light of greed, the blue light of hope, the indigo light of compassion, and the violet light of love; all too soon they also had their own corps. One would think that the Guardians would ask to ally with at least the blues or the indigos. Instead, they are considered minor nuisances at best, equal enemies at worst. Too soon, we were all at war. Entire sectors fell in a matter of days. My own, 849, did so only a few cycles ago. Even my home is dead, my family claimed by the light. Which color it was, I do not know. Right now I do not even care.

Because right now my family is my enemy. In death, they are now ringwielders themselves, claimed by the Black.

I do not think that even the Guardians themselves suspected it. I had heard the rumors: a lost prophecy, a forbidden chapter in the Book of Oa, spoken to former Green Lantern Abin Sur of Sector 2814. It was the final chapter in the tales of the Green Lantern Corps: our end. Only the title of the chapter gave the slightest hint about our new enemy: The Blackest Night. If emotion, or rather, if life itself manifested through the presence of light, then the absence of light and emotion was death.

No one could have thought that death too had power. When the War of Light reached its apex, and the skies grew bright, a wave of dark nothingness swept over all, devouring light and life. Only the dead remained. And now the dead rise, and the dead come in an innumerable legion. They too wield rings of their own, their black auras manifesting as mighty hands. To say they are a wave of terror is rather innacurate, especially since now there is thought of Green Lanterns allying with the Sinestros to combat the dead. Instead, the dead are simply that, dead, lacking any emotion. They are now known as the Black Lantern Corps, and they seek to consume us all.

My sector partner has already joined the dead. But even in death he fights on, this time on the side of the black tide. My family too has joined the dead. Just now I watched as my son crushed a Red Lantern while I encased my wife in a cage. An Indigo warrior rushes in to try and redeem her, only to have her staff stolen by Agent Orange himself. All around me, the order that we Green Lanterns have striven to maintain collapses into a cacophony of chaos.

My former partner sees me and approaches. I see him too, and emotion wells up in me. The Guardians would castigate me for feeling, but against the emotionless dead, I feel emotions, whichever one it is, are the ultimate defiance against the tide.

I am Douj Sal, Green Lantern of Sector 849. I will fulfill my oath.

* * *

"_Ring status report: Green Lantern Douj Sal of Sector 849 deceased. Sector scan for replacement sentient initiated._"

"_No viable candidates detected in sector. Fail-safe protocol engaged. Returning to Oa._"

"_Warning. Orange Lantern in pursuit. Begin evasive action._"

"_You do not have the ability to overcome great fear. You have not been chosen._"

"_Warning. Yellow and Violet energy detected._"

"_Warning. Black energy detected._"

"_Emergency. Universal barrier breached. Entering the Bleed._"

"_Coordinates lost. Contact with Central Power Battery lost. Contact with Lantern Mogo lost. Contact with Oa lost._"

"_Zwfszzhhszhzhhzhzhlwwwwwrklwwwkz._"

"_Exit from Bleed confirmed. Unable to identify universe out of the Fifty-Two. Attempting to reestablish contact with Oa_."

"_Warning. Partial memory core corruption._"

"_Fatal error. Contact with Oa failed. Initiate emergency protocols._"

"_Coordinates confirmed. Closest planet identified as equivalent of Lantern Hal Jordan's of Sector 2814._"

"_Sector scan initiated for emergency replacement._"

"_Candidate sentient confirmed. Subject has the willpower to overcome great fear._"

"_Target sentient chosen._"


	2. In Brightest Day

Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters are property of Masashi Kishimoto. Any and all Green Lantern references are property of DC Comics and currently under the direction of Geoff Johns. This is a fan work of appreciation and praise for both franchises, no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Additional Author Notes: To all readers who have no idea what the upcoming DC event Blackest Night is, I highly encourage you to look it up. It's shaping up to be absolutely EPIC.

Chapter 1: In Brightest Day

"Mw... mweh... jus' lil' mo'" Naruto mumbled as a beam of sunlight found its way directly into his face. He turned in his sleep, his face landing straight in the puddle of drool he'd soaked the pillow with. He shivered and turned again. "Yr' lips're too wet, Sakura-chan," he mouthed. He turned again, once more directly into the sunlight. Now half awake, Naruto opened one eye midway and clumsily searched for the alarm clock on his nightstand. Several used cups of ramen, dirty laundry, and the clock itself were fumbled to the ground before he was able to get a somewhat decent look at the time.

"11:38?!" he yelled, suddenly very awake. "Iruka-sensei's treating me to ramen at noon!" Naruto jumped out of his bed, only to immediately trip on the same cups and clothes that he'd thrown moments before. His head narrowly missed the bed's border and instead crashed, along with the rest of him, hard on the floor.

"Meeeeeh," he mumbled as a lump formed on the back of his skull. He took a look around his room as he sat up and massaged his bruise. "I really should have cleaned this pigsty yesterday.... or the day before... or the one before that..." he continued. He stood up resolutely. "Right! No more excuses! This gets cleaned today!" he resolved. Thinking a bit, he added: "After ramen... and training... and dinner... but today it is!"

As quickly as he could, Naruto dug out his usual clothes, changed, and dashed towards Ichiraku Ramen, the accustomed lunch spot for when he and Iruka ate together. Finding the streets too crowded for him to be at his fastest, he jumped up to the roofstops of the Hidden Village of the Leaf. Some of the crowd below eyed him with curiosity, others with a slight envy of his ninja skills, but many of the random passersby eyed him with a scorn that still stung him. Naruto did not notice these last ones much, or at least he pretended not to, and instead hastened his pace towards the small ramen bar.

"You're late, Naruto!" Iruka yelled at him the moment Ichiraku came into view. Naruto almost tripped when he made a desperate final dash to land in front of his first teacher.

"Aah, sorry, Iruka-sensei!" he said, rubbing the back of his head apologetically.

"Just for that, you're paying today."

"EEEEEH?!" Naruto gawked. "No fair, sensei! I still haven't recovered from loaning Ero-sennin so much money during the training!" he complained, pulling out his frog wallet and opening it to show Iruka its few contents.

"Hey, hey, calm down. I was only joking," Iruka countered. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, grinned, and joined the older ninja inside the small shop.

"Welcome!" old man Teuchi said, his back towards Naruto and Iruka as he prepared a batch of ingredients. He turned and immediately recognized two of his most loyal customers, doing so without even having to open his eyes. "Oh, hello, Naruto-kun, Iruka-san!"

Naruto and Iruka didn't have to order their lunch. Since they frequented Ichiraku so often, Teuchi knew exactly what they wanted to eat, and was quick to prepare two bowls of steamy ramen. Naruto was even quicker in finishing his bowl and ordering a second.

"No matter how many times we've eaten here, you still surprise me, Naruto," Iruka said, quickly glancing at his wallet pocket worringly.

"I can't help it. Kakashi-sensei will be out of the hospital soon and he's promised to train me in making my own technique."

"An original technique?" Iruka asked, genuinely surprised. "Already?"

"Yeah!" Naruto answered in between gulping down ramen strands. "He says I could become stronger than him, too!"

Iruka said nothing while Naruto ate the last of the pork ramen and started drinking the sauce. It had finally happened, he thought to himself. Just getting such an offer from Kakashi confirmed to Iruka that Naruto had surpassed him. Iruka smiled, happily noting that he didn't feel a single pang of jealousy towards his former pupil, and instead was filled with pride.

"You've come so far, Naruto..."

Naruto stopped drinking and slowly lowered the bowl back to the table. His smile was gone, replaced with somber frown. "Not far enough. I couldn't save Sasuke."

Iruka hesitated, unsure how to react to the sudden reversal. "Naruto..."

"Three years," Naruto began, "almost three years I trained nonstop with Ero-sennin, all to become strong enough to bring Sasuke back. I even promised Sakura-chan I'd beat the pulp out of him and drag him back if I had to." He hit his fists on the table, which startled Iruka and Teuchi and almost toppled the ramen bowl. "But when we found him during the last mission, I couldn't do anything! He just toyed with us as if we were nothing!" After a moment of silence, he finished: "Is he gone for good? Even if I keep trying, will I even be able to bring him back?"

Iruka thought long and hard to try and find an answer. It had been years since he had seen Naruto in such a mood. It wasn't like him at all, and it didn't suit him.

"You brought back Gaara, I mean, Kazekage-sama, didn't you?" Iruka finally asked back. "You saved him from himself first, and then from Akatsuki. Even on your first mission, you got through to Haku and Zabuza, which for any other ninja would have been impossible." By then Naruto was looking back at Iruka, taking in every word. Iruka patted Naruto's back and said: "You'll reach Sasuke. I know you will. And you will bring him back one way or the other."

Naruto's frown slowly turned into a smile that matched Iruka's encouraging one. Naruto nodded resolutely and said: "Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

******************

After thanking Iruka and Teuchi for the meal, Naruto headed to the training grounds. If Kakashi was going to train him for a new technique, he thought, he had to make certain he was prepared for whatever the Jounin had in mind.

"Oi! Naruto-niichan! Watch this!" Naruto glanced to his side, and just caught sight of Konohamaru running up a tree. Each step went past a cut on the bark, but before reaching the highest mark, Konohamaru mistepped and fell off. Naruto rushed to try and catch him, but Moegi and Udon reached him first.

"You've been at this since morning, Konohamaru-kun," Udon said, his nose dripping a large booger as always, Naruto thought with some disgust. "Maybe you should stop for..."

"No way!" Konohamaru shot back. He quickly stood up and ran at and up the tree again, this time reaching just short of his last attempt.

"Why are you trying to learn tree climbing anyway?" Naruto asked Konohamaru as he held out his hand to help the other up.

"Ebisu-sensei's chakra control training," Moegi answered for him. "He was teaching us a simpler method but Konohamaru here wanted something faster."

"So then the closet-pervert came up with tree-climbing?"

"Yeah," Konohamaru said. "But he didn't say it would be so tough! All he said was that I had to balance my chakra right!"

"Heh. Reminds me of when Kakashi-sensei made me do the same thing." Naruto wondered out loud.

"REALLY?!" Konohamaru jumped. "How'd you do it, huh? How long did it take you? Any tips you can share?"

"Oi, slow down!" Naruto held back Konohamaru before the younger Genin jumped him with his enthusiasm. "Why do you wanna learn chakra control so fast anyway?" he asked further. At this, Konohamaru grinned at him.

"I already told you, Naruto-niichan. I'll be the Seventh Hokage someday, so I'm gonna train until I surpass even you!" At this, Naruto grinned. So Konohamaru still considered him his rival, he thought. He certainly had grown and was learning more than just perverted jutsus. To Naruto, Konohamaru was a three-year younger version of himself.

"So that's how it is, huh?" he said. "OK! Listen up, then! I'm going to teach you the right way to do tree climbing!"

A few minutes later, Naruto was walking up and down the tree while Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon watched excitedly but attentively. "You got all that? It's not all about guts and who's got the most chakra. Relax, gather your chakra to your feet and focus on the tree. Find the right balance: too much will crush the bark but too little and you won't stick."

"Hn! Hn!" the younger ninjas nodded.

"And don't give up! It can take a long time until you can walk on the tree, but after a few days you'll be able to run up alright."

"A few days?" Konohamaru said. He then gave Naruto a wide smirk and added: "You shouldn't look down on me, Naruto-niichan. I'll show you what a Sarutobi can do!" Curious, Naruto stopped walking and jumped down from the tree, while Konohamaru took a deep breath, performed some seals, and began gathering his chakra. Just as Naruto had told him, he was being calm and careful about the process, making sure to balance the chakra correctly. For a brief moment, Naruto wondered if Konohamaru really would be able to climb the tree in just a few more tries.

Luckily for Naruto's pride, Konohamaru's suddenly growling stomach interrupted his concentration. Naruto, Moegi and Udon could not help but laugh.

"I told you we should've eaten lunch sooner!" Moegi joked.

"I don't have time for eating!" Konohamaru retorted. "I wanna learn this new technique as soon as I can!"

"You can't generate proper chakra with an emtpy stomach," Naruto explained. "No wonder you were starting to have trouble climbing."

"But..."

"Just take an hour break and get some lunch. You'll do much better after that, I promise!"

Konohamaru looked pensive for a few seconds, then suddenly showed a wicked grin. "Heh, heh, so you're buying, niichan?"

Naruto's optimistic mood instantly reversed. "HUH? I never said..."

"Ok!" Konohamaru interrupted. "It's settled! Naruto-sensei is buying us all lunch!" Not waiting for Naruto's reply Konohamaru turned and began marching off. Moegi and Udon followed closely.

"But I already had..."

"It's so nice of Naruto-sensei to take us out like this," Udon said, ignoring Naruto's complaint.

"I'm almost broke, I can't just..."

"Hooray for Naruto-sensei! I'm going to eat double portions today!"

"But... but..." Naruto stuttered after Moegi's cries. Again he opened his frog wallet, this time mournfully counting the little money he was about to lose. It was no use to keep complaining. Skulking, he slowly followed his unofficial students.

******************

Trying not to think about being broke, Naruto headed once again to the training grounds, eager to continue his own training. This time he had no interruptions, and soon he reached the usual spot where he and Sakura trained. It was the same place where they had defeated Kakashi right after his return to Konoha.

The same place where he, Sakura and Sasuke had become Genin.

Memories began to come back from the past, of the final test Kakashi had given them. Though they could not get the bells then, the first signs of a true team emerged on that day, when Sakura and even Sasuke offered to share their lunch with him against Kakashi's instructions. The missions after that were no different. Despite Sasuke still being an arrogant bastard at times, he, Sakura and Naruto were truly becoming more than just a close team of ninjas. They were becoming friends. Family. But then Sasuke had to toss it all away to follow his vengance before Team 7 had barely begun.

"Sasuke..." Naruto wondered. "What are you up to? Are you really willing to become Orochimaru's next body?" He walked towards the middle of the three logs in the grounds, the same one where he had been tied up to. "You'd really toss us all away, even yourself, just to get to Itachi?" He then punched the log. "You idiot... we would've helped if you asked..."

"You finally made it, Naruto?" a voice called out to him. Jumping slightly from the surprise, Naruto turned. He was pleasantly surprised to find Sakura coming out of the forest and into the clearing. He was also not-so-pleasantly surprised to find Team 7's new member, Sai, with her. She raised her arm in greeting to Naruto, while Sai gave him a weak smile. It looked a bit forced, maybe fake, but knowing Sai it meant he was practicing on his absolute lack of social skills, Naruto thought.

"Sakura-chan! Sai! What're you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked back. "Sai thought training together would help us get together as a team and especially help you with your upcoming training with Kakashi-sensei."

"Huh? Sai? It was your idea?" Naruto asked the new recruit, puzzled.

"Yes," Sai answered quickly. "I read in a book that supporting your comrades in their likes is important in establishing friendship."

Naruto had to admit, Sai was really putting effort into becoming normal. "Heh, Sai, you're a quick study. You know, you can support us next time by treating us to ramen."

"Don't take advantage of him, Naruto!" Sakura scolded him, putting on her usual scary face that Naruto had learned to fear. She then turned to Sai, changing her expression instantly to one a lot friendlier: "It's alright, Sai. Inviting people to lunch or dinner is only if you want to, or if someone genuinely can't pay. Naruto was only joking."

"Ah, I see," Sai said, committing the fact to memory. "In that case, allow me to invite both of you after our training today is complete." How nice of him, Naruto thought to himself. "But not to ramen. The high salt content may be why you have such a small penis, Naruto-kun."

Immediately, Sakura blushed and Naruto fumed. "WHAT THE HELL, SAI?" the latter yelled. "YOU ASS! AND HERE I WAS THINKING YOU WERE MAKING AN EFFORT TO BEING FRIENDS WITH US!"

Sai raised his hands in defense. "But... but I thought making jokes helped remove barriers and help establish friendsh..."

"YOU DON'T JOKE ABOUT THAT KIND OF STUFF!" Naruto kept on ranting. By now Sakura was giggling, mildly amused by the sight of the two.

"Naruto... you're being almost like you were with Sasuke sometimes," she whispered to herself.

"I'm sorry!" Sai recanted, waving his hands and head sideways in his defense. "It is not really like that at all. Yours is about the same size as mine. Here, let me show you," he finished, making a move to unzip his own pants.

This time, it was Sakura who reacted first. Before Sai could continue, Sakura clobbered him over the head and sent him sprawling. "DON'T DO THAT KIND OF PERVERTED STUFF IN FRONT OF A LADY!"

"You really asked for it, Sai..." Naruto said carefully, sweatdropping.

"A lady? Where?" was Sai's response as he massaged the growing bump on his head.

Naruto immediately jumped on Sakura before she could clobber Sai again.

"Dammit, Sai, you're really gonna kill us both!" he said, struggling in vain to keep Sakura at bay.

"SHANNARO!"

******************

Despite Sakura's outburst, Team Kakashi was able to train for some time. For the first time since joining, Sai was fully focused on working in tandem with Sakura and Naruto, with excellent results. One of the excercises in particular, in which Sai had to search and find the other two ninjas, was very effective in improving Naruto and Sakura's stealth techniques given Sai's ink jutsus. It was hard at first realizing that he could scout them out with small ink animals that almost seamlessly blended into the environment. Repeat attempts improved their stealth as well as detecting the difference between the real wildlife and painted animals. In the final attempt Naruto was finally able to avoid detection and ambush Sai instead.

"You've improved," Sai told Naruto.

"Heh. So've you," he answered back.

"That should do it for today," Sakura said, referring to the quickly darkening sky.

"Right! Dinner time! Sai's treat!" Naruto quickly added.

Sakura scowled. "Didn't I tell you not to press him on that, Naruto?" she said glaring at him.

"It's fine, Sakura," Sai said. "I don't mind paying for the both of you, especially since Naruto has no money left."

"Huh?" both Sakura and Naruto reacted. "How do you..."

"I was practicing my detailed detection skills, such as when trying to pick a guard's pocket. Your wallet is completely empty," Sai explained.

"You're broke? How come?" Sakura asked him.

"Well, I, uh..." Naruto stuttered. It was embarrassing to have to admit it. "I kinda, well, had to buy lunch for Konohamaru's team after, you know, helping them with tree climbing."

"You did?" Sakura asked. "That's really nice of you, Naruto-sensei," she added, smiling playfully.

"Aw, drop it, Sakura-chan," Naruto scowled, blushing slightly. "Konohamaru called me the same thing today."

"It's out of respect and admiration, Naruto," Sai interjected. "I read in another book that good teachers reward their students when they do well, and students likewise look up to their teachers."

"So, Sai, tonight you and I will treat Naruto."

"You mean that? Thanks, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, his mood swinging yet again.

"Come, then," Sai suggested, "I know a good location where they serve nutritious meals, perfect after a long training session."

"You guys go ahead, I'll meet up in a second," Naruto asked them.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked him.

"I'm fine," he answered, "there's just one thing I need to check. I'll be right over!" he added, heading once again to the three logs.

"Don't take too long," Sakura called back. She and Sai then headed into the forest and back into the village.

Naruto stood in front of the middle log again. Thoughts about the past again came back to him. Unlike before, these were thoughts about the good times. Sasuke almost dying to protect him from Haku, Sasuke protecting Sakura from a maddened Gaara, Sasuke also wanting to fight him during the Chuunin Exams. Naruto thought about how he wanted those times to repeat themselves again. For a moment, he remembered his two failed attempts to bring Sasuke back, first alone, and then with Sakura, Sai and Yamato. Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused on the present. The day's training had gone quite well. Sai could not replace Sasuke, but he was genuinely becoming a new ally and friend. Plus, soon Kakashi would help him learn a completely new jutsu unique to him, one that would help him catch up to Sasuke.

Naruto looked up at the heavens. He would not give up. Team 7 would not give up.

"Just you wait. I'll bring you back, Sasuke," Naruto said at the stars. "Until you're back in Konoha, I'll never stop reaching for you! Because..." he raised his hand up to the sky, "that's my ninja way!"

"_Emotional resonance confirmed_."

Naruto whirled around and scanned the area, startled by the suddeness of the unexpected sound. "Who's there?" he yelled. His only reply was the chirping of a cricket and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"_Sentient located_."

Naruto again turned, this time taking a kunai out of his pouch. To his right, he saw a faint light illuminating a small bush from the inside. He swiftly threw the kunai at the source, the blade digging straight into the plant. In response, the light itself moved and darted out from the bush. A glowing ball of green light emerged and flew erratically.

"Just a bug? Pretty fat..." he wondered out loud. "It's not like Shino to play jokes, so what was that voice?" He glanced curiously at the light ball. "Was it this?" he asked himself, taking a few tentative steps forward.

The large green firefly kept still in the air, too still for an insect. Upon closer inspection, Naruto found it had no wings to speak of, and no body on top of that. For a second, he thought it was a ghost. But then the light sparked and sped towards him. Before he could react, it settled itself cleanly in his middle finger. A bright green light suddenly enveloped him, and a voice echoed into his thoughts.

"_Uzumaki Naruto of the planet Earth. You have the ability to overcome great fear_."

* * *

Author's Blurb: Greetings, all. I'm glad you've found this story and are liking it so far. I hope it will meet your expectations, but if what you're imagining is anything like what I'm seeing in my mind, you're in for one heck of a ride. I just wonder if Naruto and company are up to the challenge, ne?


	3. Lantern's Light

Chapter 2: Lantern's Light

"Mw... mweh... jus' lil' mo'" Naruto mumbled as a beam of sunlight found its way directly into his face. He turned in his sleep, his face landing straight in the puddle of drool he'd soaked the pillow with. He shivered and turned again. "Yr' lips're too wet, Sakura-chan," he mouthed. He turned again, once more directly into the sunlight.

This time, Naruto couldn't go back to sleep. He yawned groggily and looked around him. He saw that he was back in his room, wearing his usual pajamas, and all around him the mess remained. As his brain slowly came to, he scratched his head unnervingly: "How did I get here? Wasn't I in the training grounds just now?"

His thoughts came to a halt when his hair got stuck on something on his right hand and was pulled hard. "OW!" he yelled, reaching back instinctively and ripping out the tangled hair. "Why me?" he said out loud to nobody in particular while massaging the hurting spot on his skull with his left hand. "And what pulled... huh?" he said, finding that the ripped hairs were tangled up with a strange-looking green ring in his middle finger. The head of the ring was round, and inside was an inscribed inner circle and two horizontal bars on the top and bottom of the inner one. The design looked like some kind of lantern.

While the sight of the ring didn't answer the question of how he got back to his place from the previous day, it at least brought back the last thing he saw. "Oh yeah! That green talking firefly last night! It said something about me fearless?" He stared at the ring some more. "Does that have something to do with this ring?" he asked, clueless. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, deep in thought trying to figure out more about the ring. Nothing came up.

The loud rumble coming from his stomach snapped him out of concentration. "Oh, right," he said, clutching his belly, "I didn't get to eat dinner last night. Dammit, and Sakura-chan was treating too… I'll have to say sorry later." Naruto quickly got out of bed and hastily prepared himself a toast. "That hit the spot!" he said after a few bites. "Now, to settle it down with some... eh?" The glass he had just grabbed was empty. "I forgot the milk again... did I even buy it last time?" He quickly got up and checked the fridge again, finding only water for drinking. Dejected, he took another empty glass from his cabinet, filled it, and sat back down to eat.

And then he saw that the empty glass at the table was now filled with milk.

"An intruder?" he exclaimed, quickly dashing to the nearby sink and grabbing a dull knife. His senses quickly scanned the apartment for a few seconds, searching for any sign of an uninvited guest. All he detected was the same dirty laundry, discarded garbage, and empty ramen cups he'd neglected to clean up in the past few days. Warily, without a word, he grabbed the glass with milk and smelled it.

"Doesn't seem poisoned..." he mused. Taking one last glance around and finding nothing, he took a sip. When he didn't pass out or die, he shrugged, sat back down and gulped the rest of the glass.

"OK, cleaning time now!" he solemnly declared, closing his eyes for emphasis. "No ands, ifs or buts! I'm going to take out the trash, do laundry, and clean the dishes! This pigsty WILL get cleaned up!" he added, pumping his fists resolutely. He stopped for a moment and added absent-mindedly: "At least, when I finish training and after lunch, and..."

He stopped when a faint green glow caught his attention. He quickly opened his eyes and was stunned when he noticed that the mess was no longer there. The empty ramen cups were tossed to the trash, which was in turn bagged and ready to be thrown out. The laundry was clean and tidy, and the dishes were washed and stowed.

A cold sweat ran down his face and a chill crept up the length of his spine.

"YAAAAAH! MY HOUSE IS HAUNTED!" he yelled, unceremoniously jumping out of his window as fast as he could. He never got the chance to hear his neighbor complain about someone stealing his milk, or blaming him for the event after hearing his scream.

He dashed away from his house haphazardly and absently, without any idea of where to go as long as it was away from the haunting. He raced and ran, jumped and crawled, not stopping for anyone or anything in his way. He kept running until even the Kyuubi's stamina was not enough to let him keep going. At long last, he stopped, bent down and breathed heavily.

"What… the heck... was THAT?" he gasped.

"Oi! Naruto-niichan!" After another bout of heavy panting, Naruto glanced up to see Konohamaru, standing upside down the branch of the same tree he was trying to climb the day before. "Are you alright?"

"Konohamaru?" Naruto took one last heavy breath and stood up straight. He stared at the younger Genin, surprised that he'd mastered tree-climbing in a single day. On two other close trees, Udon and Moegi were making their own attempts at running up the barks, and although neither was quite reaching the target branches, they were getting up quite high.

"So what do you think, niichan?" Konohamaru asked Naruto, grinning evilly. "I told you not to underestimate a Sarutobi."

"Heh, you should be thanking me and my genius skills," Naruto retorted. "You'd still be stuck if I hadn't taught you how to do it right."

"You just can't bear to admit that your greatest rival is catching up to you," Konohamaru shot back. "I'll surpass you soon if you keep sleeping off training." Naruto grunted while the boy laughed at his expense. When he stopped, he added with a slightly more serious tone: "Why are you out here in your pajamas, anyway?"

The blond then remembered why he was out in the middle of the village. "Weird story. Jump back down and I'll tell you."

"I'm fine here; I want to continue practicing holding my chakra just right."

"No, you really should, Konohamaru," Naruto insisted. "The way you're standing right now, if your chakra isn't balanced perfectly you'll…" he didn't have a chance to finish. As if on cue, Konohamaru's feet unlatched themselves from the tree branch. Gravity immediately took control, and the young genin found himself falling headfirst to the hard ground barely below.

The timing for the fall could not be worse. Naruto ran towards the falling ninja, but his exhausted feet and lungs fought to disobey him. Worse yet, both Moegi and Udon were in mid-jump back down from the tree. "Konohamaru-kun!" they both yelled. Naruto knew there was not enough time for Konohamaru to turn and land upright. Only he could catch him.

He ordered his legs to move faster, but they could barely comply. The back of his mind knew there was no way he could get to him in time, but the rest of him couldn't accept it. "_Catch him_," he thought to himself. "_Catch him_," he repeated over and over again. Konohamaru's head was inches from the ground. Naruto reached out with his right arm, but he was still too far.

"_CATCH HIM_!"

A shining beam of green light erupted from the ring on his middle finger and raced towards Konohamaru. Before Naruto could even register what was happening, the light itself took the shape of a large hand that grasped the falling boy before he hit the ground. Konohamaru grunted at the sudden stop. A second later, when Naruto finally realized what had just happened, the hand disappeared, letting Konohamaru drop the last inch. Moegi and Udon rushed to their teammate, who sat against the tree and rubbed his head.

"Wh… wha…" Naruto stuttered. Wordlessly, he brought his right hand to his face and stared awestruck at the ring.

"N… nii… chan…" Konohamaru also stammered. "H… how did you…"

"I... I don't know..." Naruto couldn't answer beyond that. His racing thoughts, crisscrossing through little facts and rampant speculation, would not allow him to come to any conclusions. "_Was the light actually solid? How did the hand appear? Was it my chakra, or something from the ring? What exactly is this ring, anyway_?" were only some of the questions that clogged his mind. The ongoing silence only served to confuse him further, so he decided to say the next thing that came to his mind: "I was... thinking of catching you. And then that hand just... burst out of nowhere."

"It came from that ring you have," Moegi said. "At first it was just a beam of green light, but then it just... morphed into that solid hand."

Konohamaru, who had quickly recovered from the fall, stood up and approached Naruto. Eyeing the ring intently, he tapped it gently. "Maybe it's some kind of chakra weapon?" he asked.

Naruto found the talking was indeed helping him collect his thoughts. After a few seconds he was able to answer: "Maybe. I'm sure I didn't make any jutsu or use any of my own chakra."

"You said you were thinking of catching Konohamaru-kun when the hand appeared," Udon began. "Maybe the ring reacts to concentration?"

"Only one way to find out," he mused. "Stand back," he told the others. Once they did so, Naruto breathed deep, closed his eyes, and instinctively made the Kage Bunshin seal. Instead of gathering any chakra or executing a jutsu, he focused on resummoning the light arm. His thoughts echoed his wish repeatedly, and his mind directed them to the ring. Time passed, but he did not feel anything different. Naruto then tried ordering the ring to create the light again, but after a few seconds the only thing he felt was a slight breeze. Stiffening his muscles, he focused harder, until his head ached for thinking only of summoning whatever power the ring had.

"Whoa!" Naruto heard one of the kids say. He quickly opened his eyes and jerked his hand out to get a good view of the ring and its hand. Instead he found nothing.

"What was that for?" he asked, frowning.

"The ring was starting to glow, niichan!" Konohamaru answered with a big smile and very open eyes. Naruto gave him a questioning look, but Udon and Moegi's quick nodding confirmed it.

"Ok, let's try this again then!" Naruto again breathed deep and began concentrating. He repeated the same steps as before, slowly pushing away any thoughts that did not center on using the ring again. His mind again cleared, and his will focused. For an instant, he felt a slight tingle in his ring finger.

"There you are, Naruto!" The female voice immediately cut him off his trance and brought him back. He frowned when he saw that again the ring was unchanged.

"Sakura-chan?" he said, instantly recognizing his teammate. Unlike him, she was dressed in her usual outfit.

"I've been looking all over the village for you. Tsunade-sama wants…" she stopped when she got to the group, and then eyed Naruto with curiosity. "Why are you in your pajamas?"

"It's because of this ring," he answered, showing her the green ring on his finger. "I woke up this morning and had it on me, and since then some weird stuff's been happening!"

Sakura looked back and forth between Naruto and the ring. She took Naruto's hand and examined the ring closely. "It looks like just normal jewelry to me," she said. She then placed her hand on Naruto's forehead and asked: "No fever… did Sai hit your head harder than we thought yesterday?"

"He's not making it up, Sakura-san," Moegi interjected. "Just now Konohamaru almost fell doing tree-climbing, and the ring made a green hand that caught him."

"You're good with chakra, Sakura-chan," Naruto said. "Can you check it out?"

Sakura took Naruto's hand again, and placed her other hand on top of the ring. After a few seconds, she said: "I don't feel any chakra from it. We should ask Tsunade-sama during the briefing."

"Briefing?"

"Looks like your training with Kakashi-sensei will have to wait," she said. "We have a mission to do."

******************

"I don't feel anything," Tsunade said. The Fifth Hokage let go of Naruto's hand and stood back up straight. "Are you certain that you saw a hand come out of it?"

"Konohamaru would be in the hospital if it hadn't happened," Naruto answered. "He and his teammates can tell you I'm not making this up."

"Very well, I'll ask Neji or Hinata to check it out after you've returned from the mission," she said, coming around her desk and standing in front of her chair.

"What do you want us to do, Hokage-sama?" captain Yamato asked the village leader. Tsunade hesitated for a second, sighed, and then eyed Team Kakashi intently.

"I want you to infiltrate the Metal Country's Hidden Village of Steel."

Yamato and Sakura shifted momentarily from their position and had to quickly recompose themselves. Even Sai twitched slightly after hearing Tsunade.

"Metal country?" was Naruto's reaction. For a moment he expected to be ridiculed for his lack of knowledge, but he was surprised to find no one was looking at him strangely.

"It's expected," Yamato said. "Even some Jounin may not know about this village."

"The Metal Country is incredibly isolated and closed off from the rest of the region," Sai said. "It lies on an island to the south of the Fire Country. Reports say the island itself is surrounded by a sheer steel wall that completely seals off the country."

"To say it's secretive is an understatement," Sakura continued. "Absolutely nobody enters or leaves the island, and any information about is surrounded by more rumors than facts."

"So why are we going in there?" Naruto asked casually. "Better to leave them alone if they like their privacy."

"Before today, aside from the usual spying, that was the opinion of all the other Great Countries," Tsunade said. "But the latest report we received last night means we have to change that policy."

The Hokage's aide, Shizune, continued for her. "One of our top ANBU teams was returning from a mission in the southern coast, when they suddenly lost the ability to use any chakra."

"Were they attacked?" Yamato asked.

"Not exactly," Shizune answered. "They immediately hid expecting an enemy assault, but nothing happened. After exactly three minutes, they regained their ability to mold chakra. However, one minute after that, they again lost their chakra. This three minute to one minute cycle continued repeatedly as they investigated the cause of their situation. Based on the size of the area of the coastal cliffs where the effect was present, they found it circled an area close to twenty kilometers."

"With the Hidden Steel at its center," Sakura concluded.

"Precisely," Tsunade agreed. "If the Metal Country has developed some sort of chakra-dampening weapon, it is imperative that we find out what they want to do with it and how to counter it."

All four members of Team Kakashi nodded resolutely, but while Sai, Sakura and Yamato kept serious, Naruto grinned broadly. "Now that's a real mission! I'll bust that weapon up and make it scrap!"

Sakura hung her head and brought her hand to her forehead at Naruto's comment. "Figures…"

"This is not an assault mission, Naruto!" Tsunade chastised him, standing up and raising her voice. "You four must be discrete in gathering intelligence. If the report is true, also, your skills will be severely hampered. Proceed with utmost caution."

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama," Yamato began, "wouldn't Team Kurenai or Team Gai be better equipped for this sort of covert mission?"

Tsunade sat back down and crossed her hands. "If the chakra weapon does exist, there is not much Team Kurenai would be able to do once it's activated. I've asked for Team Gai to also join this task but they're returning from the western provinces. They will join you as soon as they return, but this is an urgent matter that requires an immediate deployment." Before any of the ninjas could ask any more questions, the Hokage stood up and offered Yamato the mission details. Once he took them, Tsunade finished her briefing: "You will leave Konoha in two hours. I expect you to reach the Hidden Steel tomorrow night, and back here in less than a week. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Team Kakashi responded in unison.

"Dismissed!"

******************

Naruto's eyes flung wide open and his back jerked upright as he gasped and woke up with a start. Quickly scanning his surroundings, he found he was still in the clearing where he, Sakura, Sai and Captain Yamato were camping for the night on their way to the Hidden Steel. He let his breaths shallow out and then he wiped his face, drenched with sweat, with his sleeves. He considered going back to sleep, but he knew that after the dream he'd just had that would be almost impossible. Instead he stood up quietly, making sure not to disturb the others, and headed into the forest.

A short distance away he stopped, leaned against a tree, and glanced at his green ring intently. When preparing for the mission, he had considered leaving it behind and worry about its abilities later. Indeed, he'd taken it off as soon as he had started packing and stored it in a drawer. But just as he was about to leave out the door to his apartment, something on the back of his mind told him that he should take it with him; why exactly he didn't know, but for some reason it seemed right. At the last second he turned around, got the ring from the drawer and slipped it on as he stepped out the door and headed for the village gate. After the dream he'd just had, however, he began to question if it was a wise choice.

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto immediately spun to face the sound's source. Luckily it was only Sai, because he then noticed that instead of instinctively reaching for a shuriken or kunai, for some reason he'd simply settled for pointing the ring on his closed fist at his teammate.

"Don't scare people like that," Naruto shot back as he lowered his arm.

"Sorry. I am still learning the niceties of when ninja training can be ignored."

"Figures. Anyway, yeah, I'm alright. Just had a weird dream, that's all."

"What was it about?"

Naruto turned his head, puzzled. Sai's attitude was completely different from when he first joined the team. "Since when did you become so concerned about others?"

In a way, Sai's answer was expected: "I read in a bo…"

"Ok, ok," Naruto guessed, "you read in a book that a good friend looks out for his comrades' well-being."

"Right," Sai confirmed, smiling. "Did you read the same book?"

"That's not what I meant…" Naruto sweatdropped. "Anyway, it's probably nothing. You know how dreams are."

"Perhaps," Sai wondered, "but I understand dreams are sometimes expressions of the subconscious. Is this ring you've newly acquired troubling you? You've seemed very curious about it since the meeting with the Hokage."

"Could be," Naruto conceded. During the trip, his mind had been wandering on and off about the ring. Sometimes he found he was falling behind the rest of the team, and some other times they had to call him to catch up. "There was lots of green stuff in it, but a lot of other colors too."

"Colors?"

"Like I said, weird. I was nowhere; I mean literally, nowhere. It was pitch black, and I was just floating in… in… floating in nothing, really. It was really cold, too. But then, there was a single point of light. It was faint at first, but then it just exploded!" he told Sai, stretching his arms out to add emphasis.

"You saw an explosion," Sai concluded.

"Yeah, but it wasn't normal. Sure, at first it was all bright and white, but then it split into other colors. I mean, there were lots of colors. Red, blue, yellow, orange… I think purple too."

"Indigo," Sai corrected.

"What?"

"You seem to be describing the colors of a rainbow," he explained. "It's a common misconception that between blue and violet is purple, but it's actually a shade of blue called indigo."

"Did you read that in a book too?" Naruto joked.

"I'm an artist," was Sai's always-stoic response. "Color theory is basic knowledge."

"Whatever. And of course lots of green too. The lights then somehow… grew… until there was no more darkness. And then… they started fighting…"

For once, Sai was the one with an inquisitive look. "The light was fighting?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied, giving Sai the same look. "It's as if they were just crashing into each other, trying to be the brightest. But that's not the weirdest part. After a while, the lights suddenly became animals. But I mean really, really freaky animals, especially the red and orange ones. Whenever they got close it got so hot I thought I was gonna get cooked. Some of the others… were sort of warm… pleasantly warm even. And then the green one, it was like a cross between a whale and a shark, it stopped and… and looked at me, as if it knew me."

"You were right, Naruto-kun," Sai said, "it is strange."

"That's not the worst of it," Naruto continued. He raised his arms and crossed them around his chest. "When the fighting was at its peak, the darkness came back, and then it just… just ATE the color animals. The green one was the last to go. It put up a fight, but even with all that struggling it still got absorbed. After that, it was all black again. It got so cold, it was painful. I realized then I was getting eaten too. I… fought," he said, omitting the part about panicking, "but it kept consuming me. Just before it finished me, I woke up."

Sai didn't say anything even after Naruto finished telling his dream. He brought his left hand to his chin, lowered his head for a moment, and said: "The green light I can understand, given what you told us about this ring of yours. But the others I have no explanation for."

"It's unnerving," Naruto said, shivering a little.

"As Sakura-san said, the Hokage-sama will investigate as soon we return to Konoha," he continued. "For now, it's probably best to concentrate on the mission."

"Makes sense," Naruto agreed. Just as Sai turned to leave, he added: "Thanks."

"For what?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "For just... listening, I guess. At least it helped me relax."

Sai turned around and smiled at Naruto. "You're welcome. This is what comrades do, after all." Naruto nodded in reply. He noted that Sai's smile was becoming more genuine. The two headed back together in silence, not wanting to wake up Yamato or Sakura.

Just before he reached the campsite, he glanced at the ring again and whispered one last thing he remembered about the dream: "That green shark-whale… its name... Ion?"

******************

By early afternoon of the next day, Team Kakashi had reached the coast. The southern border consisted of a tall, sheer cliff that fell into a thin strip of jagged rocks. The cliff itself extended for miles on end to both the north and south. Off in the distance, the team could spot another similar cliff jutting out of the ocean. Unlike the rock face in front of them, the sea mountain gleamed bright in the waning sunlight, a clear indication of its artificial origin. "So that's the Hidden Steel," Naruto whispered, guessing the wall's relationship to the Metal Country.

"We're at the location the ANBU team first reported they lost their chakra," Yamato said, glancing out from the last strip of forest just before the cliffs' edges. He quickly made some hand seals and tested one of his wood jutsus. "_Mokuton_!" At his command a small bush sprang up just in front of him.

"If the weapon exists, it must be off right now," Sakura concluded upon seeing Yamato's ninjitsu was still working.

"Then let's get inside and bust it up!" Naruto exclaimed, punching his right fist into his left palm.

"First, please let me investigate for any enemies," Sai held him up. He quickly took out a scroll and brush, dipped the brush into the scroll's ink container, and painted a host of mice. "_Ninpo, Choju Giga_." The ink mice rose from the paper and scurried out onto the cliff face. The rodents spread out, searching around the area for traps or other unpleasant surprises. Some even dove off the ledge to scan the sea. After a few silent, and boring to Naruto, minutes, Sai nodded. "All clear."

"Finally. Let's go!" Naruto said, promptly rushing out from the brush and out to the open. While the others walked out more calmly, he started streching his arms and legs.

"What are you doing?"

"Stretching," Naruto told Yamato.

"You want to SWIM all the way to the island?" Sakura asked him incredulously.

"Why not? It'll be easy and..."

"Stupid, that's what!" Sakura interrupted. "Not to mention tiring, obvious and horribly exposed."

"Sakura's right, Naruto," Captain Yamato said. "But I have an idea." Crouching down, he grabbed a nearby pebble and drew a rough diagram of the bluffs, the country, and the water in between. "Sai, I need you to do some air reconnaisance on the village. Use a bird native to this coast to reduce suspicion," he explained, drawing an arrow from their end of the coast over to the Hidden Steel diagram. "Once we know the layout of the land, I'll use my jutsu to tunnel below the sea floor and into the Metal," he finished, this time drawing an arrow that dug below their current location, below the ocean drawing, and into their destination.

Sai did not hesitate and summoned an ink seagull, which quickly flew away to the metal wall jutting out from the middle of the ocean. Minutes passed, and even as the bird became a mere dot, the team could tell it still had some way to go to reach its destination.

"You were right, Sakura-chan," Naruto broke the silence, "that would've been a heck of a swim."

"It should be reaching the barrier soon," Sai said. "I should have some information shor..."

"What's that?" Yamato interrupted him. The ANBU pointed to the Metal Country, and he and the others saw what looked like a puff of white smoke coming out of the walled city. Soon, two more puffs emerged.

"Do you hear something?" Sakura asked. A faint whistle began emanating from the distance. Naruto and the others were perplexed at first about the origin, but they slowly understood what was happening when the sound intensified and pitched higher.

"Watch out!" Yamato ordered. A second after they jumped back, the ground they were standing on exploded, lifting rock and dust high and sending a wave of compressed air all around. Naruto and his team were nearly unable to land on their feet. Soon after, another explosion rocked the forest behind them, sending wood and leaves flying past them.

"Damn! They detected us already?" Yamato cursed.

"No wonder they're called the Metal Country," Naruto scoffed, looking at the large crater left behind by the first blast. At the bottom lay a black, heavy metal ball the size of a human head.

"Watch out, something is approaching!" Sai warned. Glancing up, the team saw what looked like a large, metallic bird that left a great ominous shadow as it sped above the waters. The metal glider flew past them, but from it jumped dozens of people, each armed with what looked like metal pipes fitted with wooden rears. They quickly sprang out large parachutes that slowed their descent enough so Team Kakashi could react.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!"

"_Choju Giga_!"

"_Doton, Doryuso_!"

Where the team had expected to use their jutsus, they were met with nothing. Meanwhile, their attackers kept descending without opposition.

"What happened?!" Sakura yelled out.

"My chakra! I can't use chakra!" Naruto shouted back.

"None of us can!" Yamato said. "The anti-chakra weapon does exist!"

"We'll have to use taijutsu only for three mi..."

"Sai, MOVE!" Sakura rushed and tackled the ANBU Root the instant one of the soldiers above aimed his stick at Sai and pulled some sort of curved metal splinter. A bang rang out and a miniature version of the earlier cannonball dug deep into the ground where Sai had been standing an instant before. Soon, all the other soldiers aimed their weapons at the team and fired. A hail of metal bullets rained down on them.

"Take cover!" Yamato ordered, and Naruto, Sai and Sakura quickly followed. They ducked behind a large boulder that protected them from the Hidden Steel's attacking forces. The shots continued at varying intervals but their constant presence prevented Team Kakashi from moving. All of a sudden the firing stopped, and Naruto carefully peeked out to see scores of armored soldiers closing in on their location.

"Damn!" he said. When the soldiers got close enough, they stopped but kept their muskets aimed high. One of the men, dressed in a more polished armor and wearing the country's insignia of a cast anvil, moved forward in front of the others.

"I am lieutenant Keisho of the Hidden Village of Steel!" the head officer declared. "You four are under arrest for espionage against the Metal Country!"

"We are not spies!" Yamato countered from behind the boulder. "We are investigating reports of unusual activity within the Land of Fire's borders!" Naruto wondered why Yamato was choosing to tell half of the truth of their mission. The captain interrupted his pondering when he signaled Naruto to take out his kunai. On his part, Yamato and Sakura took out some exploding tags from their pouches.

"Even if your story is true, we saw one of you summon a bird and have it head straight to our borders!" the lieutenant countered. "Surrender peacefully and you will not be harmed."

"You have no authority in the Land of Fire," Yamato shot back. "Leave immediately!"

"It's no use, then. Take them out!" Immediately the full platoon resumed shooting at the rock. Slowly the bullets began to chip away at the stone. The instant the hail lessened enough, Yamato and Sakura threw their kunai at the soldiers. These landed in front of their attackers, and a few seconds later exploded. Some soldiers fell unconscious, other merely staggered, but all of them stopped shooting momentarily. The team took the opportunity to launch out of their cover.

Naruto and the others hid inside the smoke from the explosions and attacked as best they could. Limited only to taijutsu, they were extra careful to take out as many soldiers as they could for good. The four aimed almost exclusively for the soldiers' unarmored faces and necks. They succeeded in taking out at least a dozen officers, but by the time the smoke cleared there were still many more standing.

"Fire at will!" Keisho ordered. At once his officers obeyed, spraying the area with a fatal rain. The Konoha ninjas had great difficulty avoiding them all. Naruto threw two shuriken at his closest attackers, which embedded themselves into their hands and caused them to drop their rifles. But before he could counter five other soldiers fired at him. He barely sidestepped in time to avoid their shots.

"Dammit!" he cursed. While the soldiers turned to him and reloaded their guns, Naruto took a quick moment to see that Yamato, Sai and Sakura were faring no better than him. He saw a soldier take aim at Sakura's exposed back. "Sakura-chan, behind..." He didn't have the chance to finish as the familiar whistle came back. The soldiers immediately crouched and braced themselves, and the four ninjas turned towards the sea. Naruto suddenly realized he was standing in an exposed outcropping of rock only a few yards long and too thin for comfort. As the whistle grew into a higher-pitched whine, he rushed back onto solid ground. His effort was in vain, for just as he was reaching his goal an extremely loud explosion right in front of him rocked his ears and sent him reeling. The ground beneath him crumbled to nothingness and cascaded down the side of the cliff, but the force of the blast sent Naruto flying farther off. By the time he had a chance to yell, he was falling helplessly towards the jagged coast below.

"NARUTOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura cried out, reaching out helplessly towards him. Yamato and Sai, so shocked that they forgot their current situation, rushed to join her at the edge of the bluffs and watched, horrified, as their friend fell to him doom. The Metal soldiers took the advantage and immediately surrounded the surviving ninjas.

The coastal air buffeted Naruto as the ground below grew inexorably larger. Desperate, he searched his pockets and bags, but he only had extra kunais, food rations, shurikens, and one exploding tag, nothing of which could help him.

"_Kage Bushin no jutsu_!" he tried, but he still couldn't mold any chakra. As a final resort, he mentally yelled out for the Nine-Tails to help him. The beast, to his defeat, was absolutely silent, apparently also suppressed by the Hidden Steel's anti-chakra weapon. He was out of options.

It was then that it dawned on him. He was going to die.

Regret filled him. There was so much he had still wanted to accomplish. He would never come to be acknowledged by the village, and he would never become Hokage. He had not been able to protect his comrades up above. He had especially let down Sakura. His promise to her to bring back Sasuke at all costs was now broken. And Sasuke... Sasuke would become Orochimaru's new body, and never come back.

"Everyone... I'm so sorry... I... failed..." he whispered. He closed his eyes, sighed one last time, and resigned himself to fate.

"_Uzumaki Naruto of the planet Earth. You must overcome this great fear_."

The sudden appearance of the mysterious voice jarred Naruto back from the brink. Below, the sea was closing fast, but he still had a few seconds to go. There was nothing else around him, and the voice certainly did not match that of the Kyuubi's. This one was calmer, but at the same time firmer. It reminded him of Sai in a way. He was certain none of his ninja tools could talk, so that only left one thing.

"Is that you, ring?" he asked hesitantly.

"_Affirmative_," the voice immediately responded.

Naruto's next query was not so hesitant: "SAVE ME!"

"_Unable to comply_," was the answer, in the same monotonous pitch as before.

"Then how am I supposed to overcome fear of death if you won't help me!"

"_Your willpower is the key. Positive response will occur when you will it to be_."

Naruto gasped when he understood what the ring meant. He finally realized why he had been unable to recreate its effect after saving Konohamaru. At that point, he was not focusing on making the ring do something for him. He had ordered himself to save Konohamaru despite the near impossibility of it at that moment. Every other time he had only tried to command the ring to respond. His hope rising, Naruto quickly asked: "And once I make it so? What can you do?"

The ring's answer was cryptic, but if taken literally, also amazing: "_Anything_."

Naruto would have asked for more details, but now the end of the fall was almost upon him. He closed his eyes again, but this time he resolutely clenched his fists and gathered his wits. If the ring could really do anything, it would be best to keep his command simple until he was safe. Like when he caught Konohamaru, he thought of only one thing.

"Stop..." he whispered to himself. Remembering his training, he focused intently as if gathering chakra. "Stop," he said again. He had no idea how he would accomplish it, but he ordered himself to obey regardless. "Stop!" he shouted. Not caring how close the sea was now, he wished it to be. He commanded it to be.

Until at last every fiber of his being willed it to be.

Opening his eyes, he yelled out one final time: "STOP!"

The ring suddenly flared to life.

The incoming sea, the cliffs, the far-off Metal Country, and everything else in sight disappeared in a brilliant emerald flash.

"_Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps_."

******************

"Ready, men!" lieutenant Keisho ordered. All soldiers pointed their muskets to Sai, Sakura and Yamato. Yamato immediately began performing some seals in the hope the barrier was off, but the lieutenant gave the command before he could finish: "Fire!" Dozens of thundering bangs rang out simultaneously. The Konoha ninjas braced themselves for the end.

The bullets stopped in midair, crashing into a translucent green wall that had suddenly appeared around the three besieged ninjas. No projectile passed the wall, instead all fell harmlessly in front of the stupefied soldiers.

"What the..." they wondered out loud.

"Yamato-taichou, did you..." Sakura asked the jounin, but she was preempted by a voice that rang out from seemingly everywhere at once.

"_In brightest day,_  
_In blackest night,_  
_No evil shall escape my sight!_"

Everyone looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Sai, the first to find it, widened his eyes as he pointed up to the sky. "Up there."

Sakura and Yamato looked up to where Sai was signaling. Both gasped when they saw what he was referring to. "Is that..." Yamato began.

"Naruto?" Sakura finished. Her teammate was floating in the sky, held up by nothing. He was surrounded by an emerald green aura, and his usual clothes had been replaced by a tight black and green jumpsuit with white gloves and boots that would easily fit in Maito Gai's wardrobe. On his chest, inside of a white circle, was a symbol that vaguely resembled a lamp. His eyes were covered by a green facemask, but Sakura could see that beneath, his blue pupils were now also shining green with some unknown power. The head protector with the sign of Konoha had been also altered to show the same lantern on his new suit. Finally, the ring on his finger glowed incredibly bright.

"_Let those who worship evil's might,_  
_Beware my power,_  
_GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT-ttebayo!_"

* * *

Author's Blurb: I always thought power rings made sounds when making constructs, but it turns out that only Kilowog and Rot Lop Fan's rings do so constantly, while all other rings are silent the majority of the time. Hal Jordan mentions this fact just after his resurrection and during his first battle with the Parallax fear entity.

Oh, and by the way, I still get chills whenever I hear that oath.


	4. Beware My Power, Dattebayo!

Chapter 3: Beware My Power, Dattebayo!

The darkness of the cave contrasted sharply with the afternoon exterior they'd just come from. He'd already performed the technique countless times for prior meetings, but there was always a brief moment of disorientation and adjustment to the lower light conditions. Soon his potent eyes attuned themselves, and he saw the other seven, or at least their silhouettes, gathered around a small torch that stood in the center of the circle he and the others formed. Along with his companion to his side, he completed the assembly of nine.

"You're late, Itachi, Kisame," one of the figures said. The voice was rasped and distorted due to the nature of the jutsu, but Uchiha Itachi had heard it enough to immediately recognize it. It belonged to the only other ninja who had eyes potentially more dangerous than his. Itachi's red Sharingan met the Akatsuki leader's grey Rinnegan.

"It couldn't be helped," Kisame excused himself and Itachi. "We received your message during lunch at a small rest inn."

"Really? I thought you hunted live fish in ponds and oceans." Kisame almost popped a forehead artery.

"I swear, Hidan, that mouth of yours will get you killed by one of us someday," another shadow, this one with pale, pupil-less green eyes, told his partner.

"At least you know he means what he says, Kakuzu-san," yet another one said. "I'm getting sick of hearing dumb, supposedly innocent comments from a certain someone, hn."

"But, but, Deidara-sempai," said the masked shade next to Deidara, "I thought we were now a team, so I could help you out with my awesome skills and jutsus…"

"See?" Deidara sweatdropped.

"Feh, he means well, at least," Kisame snorted. Itachi still said nothing. He was certain the leader was aware, but not the others. If they did know what he and Pain knew about Tobi, they would not be treating him like the clumsy newcomer he made himself out to be. Pain's partner Konan, whom Itachi also suspected knew the truth, was also quiet as usual, and she kept to merely observing the exchange with only a passing interest.

Equally silent was Zetsu. Not that he spoke often when not dealing with matters concerning the organization, but his usually calm demeanor, or rather demeanors given his dual personality, seemed slightly rattled, even unnerved. No doubt it was at his request that the leader had called this unexpected gathering.

"This meeting will now come to order," the leader said. Immediately the banter died out and every member's attention focused solely on Pain. "Before Zetsu explains the reason for this emergency gathering, you will state your current situation."

Kakuzu was the first to answer Pain's query: "We have infiltrated the Lightning Country and are in silent pursuit of our target. The Nibi Jinchuuriki will be captured in short order."

"Good. Deidara?"

"We've confirmed the Sanbi is hostless, hn" the long-haired blond answered quickly. "Finding it will be difficult, but once we do even Tobi should have no trouble catching it, hn."

"You make it sound as if these Jinchuuriki are pretty strong," Tobi said.

"They can be if you are not prepared," Itachi finally spoke. There was no sense in arousing suspicion from the other members just yet, so he might as well play along with the masked one's game for now.

"Doesn't matter if it's a Jinchuuriki or not, hn" Deidara added. "Sasori-dana learned that the hard way."

"Itachi, what of your target?" Pain asked, going back to the meeting.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki remains heavily protected by his fellow villagers. Kisame and I are preparing to capture the Four-Tails in the meantime."

"Yes… the Kyuubi," Zetsu slurred, finally breaking his silence. "This brings us to why I requested this urgent meeting."

"Is it really that important that it had to interrupt three hunts?" Kisame asked. He then glanced in the leader's direction. "You said yourself that we must accelerate our plans in order to complete our objective as soon as possible."

"Yes, I did," Pain accepted. "But from what Zetsu has told me, there may be a new, wholly unanticipated factor that may require significant modifications to our plans."

"So don't keep us in suspense further," Deidara growled, "what's going on?"

Zetsu's less bestial side answered: "The Metal Country has fallen."

Deidara and Konan gasped lightly, while Kakuzu and Kisame scowled. Even Itachi had to blink hard at the news. "Is that so bad?" Tobi asked. Itachi noted he was hiding his surprise very well. The last to react was Hidan, and his response was typical of his character.

"BULLSHIT!" he cursed. Konan glared at the supposed immortal in return.

"You're suggesting I'm lying?" Zetsu's angrier side retorted.

Hidan continued his diatribe unabated: "The Metal Country may not have any shinobi, but between that huge wall around their island, which is in the middle of the damned ocean I might add, and all those weird anti-ninja gadgets they're supposed to have, it would take at least two of us to that! More if you wanna be sure to win quickly!"

Itachi could not believe what he was about to do. "Despite Hidan's attitude, his assertions are somewhat accurate," he said, agreeing with the most hot-headed of the group. "If the latest rumors about their research with chakra suppression devices are correct, it would require the hidden villages to send several Jounin and covert operation squads into a long siege to defeat the Metal's forces."

"You would think that," Zetsu continued, "and the country's arsenal was not exaggerated. But regardless, its whole army, weaponry, and defenses fell in less than a day."

"Whichever country invaded must have poured everything it had," Kisame speculated.

"Not everything," Zetsu corrected. His black half almost grinned at the thought of dropping another bombshell. "One Jounin, two Chunin, and one Genin. A single Konoha squad conquered the Hidden Steel."

The shock in the chamber only lasted a few seconds, as it was soon broken by Hidan's bellowing cackle. "Zetsu, whatever it is you're smoking, I want some, 'cause that must be some really good shit!"

"I'm not done yet," Zetsu continued. "Of the four, the Genin was the one truly responsible."

Before Hidan could further question Zetsu's sanity, Itachi cut him off with what he guessed was Zetsu's conclusion of his report: "It was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, I take it. Did he lose control of the beast and let it run loose?"

"Not quite..."

******************

"_In brightest day,  
In blackest night,  
No evil shall escape my sight!  
Let those who worship evil's might,  
Beware my power,  
GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT-ttebayo!"_

The words came naturally despite Naruto never having spoken them before. But the meaning of them, and the oath they created, resonated within him deeply, as if this solemn promise were his own. The Hidden Steel soldiers below him, however, did not give him the chance to ponder any further. Ignoring the equally amazed Sakura, Yamato, and Sai, all of them aimed their guns at Naruto and fired repeatedly.

His chakra still hadn't returned, but unlike a few minutes ago, Naruto simply smiled. His power ring, as he somehow knew it was called, made a perfect substitute. Now that he knew how to use it, Naruto intensified the aura around him and let the bullets strike. The solid green light repelled every single shot effortlessly.

"It hasn't been ten minutes yet!" lieutenant Keisho said to one of his charges. "Why isn't the Energy Nullifier working?"

"It is!" the younger officer answered. "He must be channeling some other sort of power!"

"You're right, I am." Keisho turned around and jumped back when he saw that the Konoha ninja, who was now wearing a tight green and black uniform, was literally floating right behind him. "It's called guts!"

Keisho and his officer drew their muskets and aimed at their new enemy at point blank range. The instant they were about to pull the trigger, two human-sized green toads materialized from Naruto's ring and stomped the two soldiers to the ground. He landed in front of the incapacitated enemies and was about to gloat when more bullets hit him from behind. He jumped a bit from the surprise, but thankfully his barrier prevented any damage. Naruto turned around to find about two dozen infantrymen firing at him.

"I always wanted to try this," he grinned. Naruto brought his fist up and summoned a giant paper fan, which he then slammed down in front of him. The fan rocked the air and sent a powerful gale that blasted his attackers away. The wind was so strong that it tore the soldiers' armor and ripped their rifles apart. "Eat your heart out, Temari!"

"Don't move, you're surrounded!" he suddenly heard. Glancing around he saw the remaining soldiers encircled him.

"So, you want to play, huh?" Naruto said. He unsummoned the fan and stood up straight.

"Hands up!" they ordered.

"Alright, I'll play." Naruto obeyed his opponents' command and raised his arms up. He allowed them a moment to approach slowly, but then he conjured a large bubble around him. The soldiers immediately fired, but once again their musket shots were unable to pierce the power ring's construct. "Heh heh, now for the KO! _Midoriiro Harem no Jutsu_!"

Thin strips of light shot out from the shield, one for each soldier around Naruto. Each beam expanded upon reaching their targets, and grew into beautiful, voluptuous, and completely naked women that immediately began seductively taunting and caressing the officers. They, in turn, dropped their guns and stood stunned with massive nosebleeds. For once, Naruto was grateful that this time it was the constructs and not him or his shadow clones doing the deeds. Now defenseless, the soldiers could not anticipate Naruto's next move to make the Naruko constructs knee everyone in their privates and then uppercut them. Every enemy was unconscious by the time they fell back to the ground.

"You guys alright?" he asked his teammates while banishing the Narukos and the bubble. Sai, Sakura and Yamato approached him. The three of them just nodded in reply.

"Naruto?"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," he answered, taking off the facemask to reveal his full face and restored blue eyes. "It's me."

"How… how did…"

"It's this ring," he told captain Yamato. Naruto held out his hand palm-down to show them his new tool. "It's called a power ring, and it's the weapon of the Green Lantern Corps."

"How do you know all this?" Sai asked him. "And what is this Green Lantern Corps?"

"Beats me," Naruto shrugged. "I think the ring's been teaching me things without me knowing. For now it's just words and terms, really. I still don't know where it came from or what these Corps are."

"What do you know about it?" Sakura asked. "It could be dangerous."

"Nah, it's ok. It chose me to be a Green Lantern because I've got great willpower," Naruto beamed proudly. "It talked to me, and told me it could do anything I wanted it to do." To prove his point, he created a copy of himself, which then morphed randomly into other comrades, ninja tools, and miniature buildings. His demonstration was interrupted when the ominous whistle came back.

"I hope it can stop the Metal's arsenal," Sakura warned warily. She, Sai and Yamato braced themselves and crouched, ready to jump away at a moment's notice.

"Piece of cake," Naruto snickered. At once the shifting construct grew immensely and split into a whole single line of elastic nets and a large funnel at the end just above Team Kakashi. When the cannonballs hit, the first batch of nets were obliterated, but each one slowed the projectiles. The last few held strong and directed the cannonballs into the funnel. Once inside, the tube itself split into three giant replicas of the Hidden Steel soldiers, one for each cannon fire the funnel caught.

"Alright, men," Naruto said, mimicking lieutenant Keisho's voice, "we have sighted the enemy. They're a band of thickheaded warmongers who won't listen to reason. Aim for their big guns and take them out! Fire!" The constructs obeyed, and soon three deafening bangs rang out across the cliff. A few seconds later, the cannonballs blasted into the thick walls of the Hidden Steel and obliterated the cannons which only moments before had shot at Team Kakashi. As the soldier replicas dissipated, Sakura, Sai and Yamato marveled at the ring's abilities. On his part, Naruto could not help but smile. "See?"

"That's a very powerful weapon," Yamato agreed. "We're lucky it's also immune to the Hidden Steel's anti-chakra device."

"We should head back to Konoha and report to Hokage-sama now that we've confirmed the existence of the weapon," Sai recommended.

"Are you kidding?" Naruto scoffed. "I said I was gonna bust it up, and that's what I intend to do! It'll be really easy now!" he continued, flaunting the green ring.

"Sai is right, Naruto," Yamato countered. "Our mission was to investigate the Metal and ascertain if the chakra suppression device existed. That's been confirmed, so it is up to her to decide what to do next."

"But we may not have time for that!" Naruto shot back. "When the ANBU found it, it stopped their chakra for three minutes, right? Now it's been, what, seven, eight minutes? We still can't use chakra! In just a few days the weapon's gotten stronger, and if we wait more soon it'll be able to work forever!" It took him a moment to notice that neither Yamato nor Sai had a counter-argument to what he had just said.

"Naruto's right," Sakura said, nodding at her friend. "If we follow Tsunade-sama's orders literally, she said to find out a way to counter the weapon." She then cracked her knuckles and gave one of those looks that usually scared Naruto stiff. "I think Naruto just stumbled onto the perfect counter. Wouldn't you agree, Lantern-san?" she finished, giving him a mischievous grin that he quickly returned.

"Very well," Yamato conceded. "But only as far as destroying the weapon; after that we return to Konoha."

"First, how do you plan to enter the Hidden Steel?" Sai asked the group.

"I know just how to get there," Naruto answered.

******************

Freedom. There were other words to describe their current situation, too, such as soaring, laughing, rushing, or flying. But none quite caught the sheer emotion of defying gravity and moving across the sky by just wanting it. Since leaping off the cliff and heading for the Metal Country, Naruto allowed himself to enjoy this new power from the ring to its fullest. Instead of just flying straight in, he zigzagged through the jagged rock face at the bottom of the drop, then coursed just above the sea water fast enough to leave wakes in his trail. After a while he arced and jutted straight up, spooking a flock of seagulls in the process. He crossed right through the afternoon clouds and marveled at the clear, reddening heavens. "This is awesome!" Naruto yelled out to the firmament. More than just splendid, it was an absolute bliss.

And strangely enough, Yamato encouraged this behavior. He'd said it would make certain that the Hidden Steel forces would see Naruto's new Green Lantern powers and demoralize them further. But since Naruto had also made the ring give the rest of the team a flight aura, he knew that the captain was also having a blast with flying solo. Equally mesmerized was Sakura, who was not content with just following Naruto's antics and was instead performing her own maneuvers dancing among the clouds.

"We are nearing the perimeter of the country," Sai notified. He was the only one who seemed unfazed about flying, probably because he had his ink birds to allow him that, Naruto thought.

"Playtime's over. Regroup and prepare to begin infiltration mission," Yamato ordered. At once the rest of the team obeyed, gathered together, and dove down. At close range, the arced wall that surrounded the Metal Country was much larger than any of the four had thought at first. Immediately a thundering chorus blared out of the walls, and Team Kakashi was bombarded with gunfire. "Incoming!" The four continued their dive while maneuvering through the deadly torrent. As they closed in on the wall, the concentration of ammunition was too dense to avoid, which forced Naruto to create a large shield behind which the four could hide.

"You have to take out those guns, Naruto!" Yamato yelled, trying to be heard over the constant barrage.

"Look!" Sakura pointed to the inside of the wall where the actual city could now be seen. Above, at the barrier's top, thick metal plates began to slide out of the cordon itself to seal the Hidden Steel.

"Forget the guns, we have to rush ins..." Suddenly the ring's shield broke apart when a cannonball struck it. Naruto had not expected to receive such a heavy impact and so his defense was not as solid as before. Though the projectile was destroyed in the process as well, it did the job of stunning him long enough to lose concentration, dispel the shield and remove everyone's flight aura. Naruto recovered quickly enough to reestablish his own power, but Sakura, Sai and Yamato plummeted to the ocean below. Worse, the Metal resumed shooting at them.

"NO!" Enveloped in sudden rage, Naruto threw his fist forward towards the Metal Country's barrier and poured a single thought into the power ring: destroy. The ring's response was immediate and unstoppable. A single beam of light shot out, which then exploded into a hail of lasers that struck every armament hidden within the walls with uncanny precision. Fire, smoke and debris burst out forcefully from within every orifice as fully half of the Hidden Steel's defenses were decimated instantly. Satisfied, Naruto dove to catch his teammates, but was relieved when he saw Sai had conjured his own jutsu and summoned an ink hawk to catch the three.

"We're fine, Naruto!" Sakura called out to him. "Our chakra's back!"

"It will only be a matter of time before they reactivate the weapon," Sai commented. "We have to strike now."

"Leave that to me," Naruto growled. He was no longer in the mood for playing. By now the city had been fully sealed by the rotating ceiling, but the new Green Lantern was undeterred. He poured his willpower into the ring and created a massive windmill shuriken that he then tossed at the top of the wall. The spinning blades sliced through the uppermost part of the wall, which slid off the rest and collapsed into the ocean. "I'm not done yet!" Naruto then transformed the shuriken into a kunai that cut the barrier from top to bottom. The kunai then split into two giant hands that ripped it open, leaving the true Hidden Steel village hidden no more.

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered, staring awestruck at what the Green Lantern power ring was capable of.

"I'm going on ahead to destroy the weapon," Naruto said.

"Wait, Naruto!" Before Yamato was finished, the only thing that remained from the young Genin was a green trail of light leading straight into the heart of the Metal Country.

Like the land's namesake, the interior of the Hidden Steel was a mass of metallic buildings in a sea of concrete, asphalt and bare earth. Scattered around the manmade dwellings were small pockets of more arable soil, the only source of agriculture for the small nation. In sharp contrast to the organized resistance outside, the internal defenses of the Hidden Steel were chaotic. Officers and infantrymen wandered aimlessly between running away, ushering panicked civilians to safety shelters, and retaliating against the new enemy's incursion. Their efforts were limited to random gunfire and vain commands to desist. If they had any more potent weapons available against the Green Lantern, they chose to not use them at all, unwilling to risk harming the non-combatants. Naruto took no heed to any of these points and rather flew on straight into the heart of the Metal.

"I just need to find that anti-chakra device," Naruto said to himself. He was not too surprised when a full image of the country appeared just above the surface of the ring. Examining it, he found that there were a number of underground chambers within the island. One of these rooms had a glowing, pulsing circle, no doubt a beacon used by the power ring to represent the location of the weapon. Above it in the graph was the Green Lantern symbol, showing Naruto his coordinates in relation to the rest of the village. "There you are," he said. He dismissed the map and created a large drill, then dove straight down. The few soldiers still firing at him in the street crossing below rushed away just as the light borer dug deep into the earth, sending rock, gravel, and dirt flying everywhere.

The sudden blaring of warning klaxons was Naruto's first indication he had breached the weapon chamber. Most of the people were not armed, and instead wore coats more reminiscent of medical staff. But what these people were holding and their surroundings indicated the facility was definitely not any hospital or recovery center. Just in front of Naruto, connected to numerous other devices scattered throughout the room, lay a large, spherical machine with dozens of knobs, wheels and maintenance consoles. "So this is it?"

"Stop him!" To Naruto's right, a big gateway opened slowly to reveal a small platoon of soldiers that rushed towards him. They were carrying sleeker versions of the muskets he'd seen before.

"No! Don't shoot inside the chamber!" one of the technicians yelled. The soldiers paid him no heed and shot Naruto, who defended himself by raising another shield. As before the bullets did not damage him or his construct, but the ricochet struck the weapon repeatedly, severing cables, damaging consoles, and causing breaches in the round body of the device. The warning klaxons intensified, and a sickly brown steam spilled out of the damaged weapon.

"What's happening?" Naruto asked the same scientist. When he hesitated in answering, the Lantern added: "Ok, so I'm the enemy here, but I'm not here to hurt you, just this thing."

"It's overloading," the technician answered. "It's going to explode."

"How bad?" he asked back, keeping half a mind to extend the shield to protect the weapon to prevent more damage.

"Very," was the only answer.

"Figures..." Naruto said. In one motion, he tossed the shield at his attackers, knocking them back long enough for him to then cover the whole weapon in a green bubble. When it was completely sealed inside, he flew up through the same hole he had entered the chamber from, dragging the smoking device behind him. An unnatural shrill began emanating from the damaged weapon. Naruto glanced down and saw that the metal bulkhead was starting to glow from the internal heat. "Gotta hurry!" He flew faster and faster, not stopping after exiting out into the open. When he finally did, he forced the bubble and the rapidly deteriorating sphere inside it ever farther up the sky, until all he saw was the beam from the ring. It was then that the afternoon sky suddenly erupted in light, as if a second sun was shining down during noon. Soon after, a roaring, deafening shockwave shook Naruto and the rest of the country. Naruto lost his concentration from the blast, causing him to lose control over the Green Lantern ring and plummet down. Instead of landing on hard concrete, he collapsed onto the soft back of Sai's ink hawk.

"Got you!" Yamato cheered. Sakura immediately placed her arm around Naruto's back and held him up, while her other hand checked his head and chest.

"He's fine," she told the others. Looking back at her teammate, she asked him: "How do you feel?"

Naruto gave her a thumbs up, smiled, and said: "Mission accomplished."

******************

"The country surrendered to Team Kakashi soon after that," Zetsu finished. Unlike at first, none of the other members interrupted his report of the events.

Kakuzu was the first to react: "Tell us more about this ring."

"There is not much else to add," Zetsu answered. "At first, like the Metal, I thought it was a new weapon Konoha had developed. But from the Konoha-nin's conversation, I can say that they were as perplexed about its nature as their opponents were. It appears this ring is sentient to a certain extent, and it was the ring itself that chose to bond with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki."

"Because he has guts? Give me a break!" Hidan scowled.

"It is not merely 'guts', as you say," Itachi interrupted. "From my observations, Uzumaki Naruto is a steadfast, if unpredictable, individual that does not compromise his lofty ideals, however utopian they might be, and will not hesitate to fight against any odds for those beliefs. Perhaps it is these qualities this... power ring seeks in its bearers."

"Deidara, you've also encountered the Kyuubi in the past," the leader said. "Do you agree with Itachi's assessment?"

"Yeah," Deidara answered. Itachi noted that he gripped one of his restored arms tightly. "He may be a hot-headed brat, but his determination is unquestionable, hn."

"So now one of our targets has a weapon that allows him to do anything he wants by just thinking about it," Kisame said, crossing his arms.

"Having cold feet?" Tobi taunted playfully.

"Tobi..." Kisame growled.

"Sorry, sorry, Tobi's a good boy!" he recanted. Interesting acting, Itachi thought to himself. "I just meant that the Nine-Tails is still your target, right?"

"Itachi, Kisame, I want you to postpone your search for the Four-Tails for now," Pain ordered the two. "You will instead head back to the Leaf and learn as much as you can about this so-called Green Lantern. Do not engage him unless you have acquired enough information to succeed in the capture. Report back with any results."

"Agreed," Itachi said.

"Remember, your primary objective for now is intelligence," Pain added. "If Uzumaki Naruto was able to take down an entire country by himself as a Green Lantern, we must proceed carefully in order to properly secure him." To the others he said: "For now, the rest of you will continue with your current assignments, but be ready to be called again at any moment."

"So many damned gatherings," Hidan complained.

"What're you mumbling about, hn?" Deidara castigated him. "At least you joined by choice," he added, giving Itachi a quick, hateful glance.

"This meeting is adjourned." With that, the nine images of the Akatsuki flickered and disappeared, and the single torch died out when the last one was gone, leaving the small cave consumed by darkness.

******************

"You seem troubled," Kisame told his partner. It was a few minutes after they had returned to their bodies from the meeting and had set off for Konoha. It was already night, and they were on their way to find a place to rest for the evening. During that time Itachi had said nothing.

"Not at all," Itachi lied.

"Hmm, if you say so," Kisame shrugged. Itachi knew Kisame well enough to know he didn't believe him, but also that he wouldn't press for more information. "This clearing looks good enough. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"Men's room." Kisame turned and disappeared into the jungle, leaving Itachi to his thoughts.

Kisame was not all wrong. Itachi was not troubled, but rather concerned. This Green Lantern ring had given a Konoha ninja, their Jinchuuriki no less, access to what appeared to be formidable powers that in certain aspects surpassed those of even the Kages. To release any kind of jutsu with a mere thought was something that even he was not fully capable of. Still, that Uzumaki Naruto became the power ring's owner was not the main problem. Instead, it was Akatsuki.

Itachi knew that the rest of the group was just as concerned about the Green Lantern as he was, perhaps more so since unlike him, their true goal included Naruto's capture. To him that objective was a means to an end; an assurance from Pain and Tobi that Konoha would remain safe from their machinations. But Uzumaki's new Green Lantern abilities were a wild card that the Akatsuki leadership would not tolerate, or worse, would seek to make their own.

What he did not suspect the others even remotely considered was that these new powers were a real threat to them. After Sasori's death at the hands of one of Uzumaki Naruto's teammates, no less, it was evident that Akatsuki was not the invincible organization it made itself out to be, and that under the right circumstances, even less experienced ninjas could overcome the odds. If the Jinchuuriki mastered these new powers, there was no telling what he might accomplish against Akatsuki.

He would comply with the leader's orders for now, but he would have to amend his own plans soon.

"Show yourselves," he said out loud. Three men emerged from behind a group of trees a few yards away. From their modest clothing and workshop tools passing for weapons, Itachi concluded that these were villagers from the town where he and Kisame had eaten before. One was middle-aged, the other two younger, and all were quaking in their boots. They were no threat to him. "Explain your presence here."

"I knew I recognized those eyes," the eldest man said, referring to Itachi's Sharingan. To his credit his voice did not waver, unlike his arms. "You are Uchiha Itachi?"

"I am," he replied.

"We know about you. We can't let you threaten our village," one of the younger ones said. Unlike his senior, this one sounded afraid.

"What you allow or not does not concern me," Itachi answered. "Besides, you are no threat to me."

"We know," their leader said, taking a step forward.

"And yet here you are..." Itachi smiled for a second under his cloak, though none of the three could see past the large neck cover of his Akatsuki robes. Interesting coincidence that these three appeared just as he was thinking of Uzumaki Naruto. He wondered if optimism was becoming contagious. That would be new in the war-torn world they all lived in. "It's not often that I see those that face fear. For that, I will say that we do not intend to threaten your village. But it would be annoying if others found out of my presence here. If you forget you saw me, I may spare you."

The two younger men exchanged doubtful glances, but the older man stood still. Itachi narrowed his eyes. "The line between bravery and stupidity is very thin," he said. "And you are still afraid. But you don't know true fear." His vision focused as his Sharingan activated. By the time the men stiffened, they were already in his Genjutsu.

But when Itachi spoke, the emanating voice was not his own: "_Know fear._" A faint light caught Itachi's attention. He glanced to his side, and saw a dancing amber glow...

******************

"And what do we have here?" another voice interrupted some time later. Kisame came back just in time to see the three men pass out from Itachi's illusion. Itachi kept his back to them, and to Kisame.

"Would-be heroes from the nearby town," Itachi said. "Nothing to bother yourself with."

Kisame approached one of them and gave him a weak kick in the ribs. "You didn't kill them?"

"No need to."

"They couldn't have come here of their own accord," Kisame said, unsheathing Samehada as he did so.

"Let them be, Kisame. They've learned their lesson." At this, Kisame glanced back at Itachi with incredulity.

"Since when did you become merciful?"

"They've seen what I am capable of," Itachi said. "Once they inform the others, fear will keep them from pestering us further."

"If you want fear, we can kill them and mutilate their corpses. That'll really scare the rest!"

"That would bring unnecessary attention to our presence, and to Akatsuki," Itachi countered.

"Don't worry," Kisame waved him off. "I won't leave too much evidence. I'll even make it quick and painless if it makes you feel better," he finished with a laugh. Kisame turned his back to his partner and then raised his heavy sword over his head with just one hand.

"Kisame, for what it's worth, I'm sorry," Itachi solemnly said.

"Sorry for wh..." Kisame did not have time to finish. Just as he turned towards Itachi, a brilliant golden light slammed into him with enough force to send him flying. Pain coursed through every inch of his body as the blast enveloped him. Despite his massive strength, Kisame was completely overwhelmed by the power of whatever had struck him. He landed hard on the ground far beyond the cowering villagers, but the light continued to pummel him until he ended up sprawled against the very earth he heaved up by the sheer impact. To his side lay Samehada, its covers ripped to shreds and with many of its scales also broken off by whatever had broken him too. The last thing he saw was Itachi, towering over him, with a bright amber glow emanating from his middle finger right next to his Akatsuki ring, and his normally red Sharingan now shining yellow. Just as the darkness took him, Kisame heard a stoic voice speak out.

"_Uchiha Itachi of Sector 2814. You have the ability to instill great fear_."

"Indeed," Itachi agreed, sporting an uncharacteristic grin, "indeed I do..."

"_Welcome to the Sinestro Corps_."

* * *

Author's blurb: Willpower (n): control of one's impulses and actions. Synonyms: personal determination, "guts", self-resolve.

Makes sense, then, that the power ring chose Naruto to be the Green Lantern of Earth. I wonder who else it could have chosen? Maybe Lee?

But it looks like Naruto's going to have some stiff competition. Uchiha Itachi with a yellow power ring... now that is something that instills fear!

In the meantime, I'm keeping an eye on the DC Universe's Blackest Night. At last, it has truly begun...


	5. In Blackest Day

Chapter 4: In Blackest Day

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Until yesterday, I would say I'm a Genin from the Hidden Leaf Village of the Fire Country. Today, I can say I'm that, plus something else. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814... whatever the hell that last part means... Anyway, after my triumphant debut in the Metal Country infiltration mission, Team Kakashi returned to Konoha with news of the anti-chakra weapon's destruction. Done in record time, too: it took us just until nightfall to return, instead of the two days it would've taken the normal way. I bet Tsunade-no-baachan will be happy with my accomplishment_.

"YOU DID WHAT?" the Fifth Hokage roared.

"But I thought you said..."

"I know what I said, Naruto!" Tsunade cut him off. "The mission was to infiltrate the Metal COVERTLY and then, only then, neutralize the weapon! I never said anything about forcing their surrender!"

"Will all due respect, Hokage-sama," Yamato said, "we did not ask their surrender. As we said, they attacked us first on Fire Country soil. Naruto would have been killed if he hadn't unlocked the power of the Green Lantern ring. He then proceeded to destroy their anti-chakra weapon as an interpretation of your instructions once a suitable counter to it was found. They surrendered out of fear of the power ring, as well as their own weapon."

"Their science division testified that the device was highly unstable to begin with," Sai continued. "In a way, Naruto saved them from a potential disaster."

"That's awfully convenient. But I doubt their leaders saw it that way," said Tsunade. She sat back down in her chair and sighed. "This is going to be a pain... Shizune!"

"Yes?"

"Send a message to the capital informing them of the situation and send our finest diplomats to the Hidden Steel. Tell them Konoha is willing to help with any rebuilding efforts they allow and will send supplies if they wish." Shizune nodded after finishing scribbling the Hokage's command into a scroll, and hurriedly left the room.

"Let's hope they're willing to listen, like Sunagakure did three years ago," Sakura mused.

"So do I, Sakura," her teacher said. "Now, as for you, Naruto..."

"Here it comes," Naruto scoffed, crossing his arms.

"If I may, Hokage-sama," Yamato interrupted standing as straight as he could, "it was my decision to continue with the mission despite our discovery. I take full responsibility for the results of my judgment."

Tsunade eyed him for a few seconds, and then raised her arm at him dismissively. "That won't be a problem for the moment, captain. We'll wait for the results of our olive branch to the Metal first. What I was going to say," she continued, changing her focus to the blond Genin, "is that I'd like to know more about your new abilities, Naruto."

At this, Naruto relaxed and grinned. He raised his fist up and with a thought changed his orange jumpsuit to the Green Lantern uniform. "I'm still checking my limits," he said. "I can create anything I imagine, make a light shield around myself, and oh yeah," he added, gently floating a few inches above the ground, "I can fly."

Tsunade kept quiet for a few moments. When Naruto landed, all she said was: "Impressive."

"Tomorrow I'll be testing it out some more," he said, alluding to the fact that it was late in the evening.

"Before you do, there's someone else that should examine the ring. They should be here shortly." On cue, there was a knock on the door. "Enter!" Tsunade ordered.

The door to the Hokage's office opened, revealing three young ninjas and their team leader. Two of them wore standard ninja jackets and tight green jumpsuits, while the other two had looser white robes.

"Reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama," said Hyuuga Neji. Behind him entered Tenten, followed by Rock Lee and their teacher, Maito Gai.

"Thank you for coming on this short notice," Tsunade said. "I called for you to..."

"WHOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Everyone recoiled at Lee's sudden outburst. The taijutsu specialist rushed towards Naruto and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. "NARUTO-KUN, THIS IS AMAZING! THIS SUIT IS BRIMMING WITH MANLY STRENGTH! SO STREAMLINED AND FORM-FITTING, WITH SUCH CONTRASTING YET MESHING DESIGNS, IT'S PERFECT TO BRING OUT THE POWER OF YOUTH!"

"Hey! Stop! Quit it!" Naruto complained to Lee, who was obsessed over the Green Lantern uniform, poking and examining its shape, colors and the logo.

"WHOAAAAAA! YOUR BURNING AURA IS BRILLIANT, NARUTO-KUN!" Lee continued with eyes on fire with excitement. "REAL MEN LIKE US MUST QUELL OUR FEVERISH MIGHT IN COMBAT! FIGHT ME, NARUTO-KUN! LET OUR SOULS BURN BRIGHT IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE! ARE YOU READY? HERE I..."

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Gai cut off Lee by landing a swift, if exaggerated, kick to the younger Chuunin's face that sent him crashing into Tsunade's desk headfirst.

"Gai-sensei? Why?" asked Lee while he massaged his cheek.

"Lee, it is good that the power of youth bristles within you, but it must be tempered with discipline! There is a time and place for training with comrades!"

"Yes, sir!"

"And Naruto-kun!" Gai turned his attention to the younger ninja, who took a cautious step back. "I'm glad you followed my advice! With this suit, your power will truly rise beyond its limits!" He then gave Naruto a hearty thumbs-up and flashed one of his trademark, tooth-sparkling smiles.

"Well, at least he got the power up part right," Naruto whispered to himself.

"Amazing, Gai-sensei!" Lee added. Gai turned to his favorite pupil, and both locked eyes intently.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

The next thing Naruto knew, he was crushed right between Gai and Lee, who hugged tightly together and cried joyful rivers. Unlike them, there was no happiness in the pain shooting from his ribs.

"Somebody kill me..." Neji mouthed, while next to him, Tenten facepalmed in utter shame. The rest of the gathered ninjas sweatdropped.

"Let... me... GO!" Naruto yelled. At the same time, he summoned two rope-like tendrils from the power ring, wrapped them around Gai and Lee and used them to separate the two out of their crushing embrace. "What's wrong with you? You wanna kill me or something?" he yelled. Neither Lee nor Gai had any answer for him. Team Gai's stunned glances were unanimous.

"Naruto? How?" Tenten asked.

"This is why the mission was cancelled on short notice," Tsunade explained. "Naruto has come into the possession of a very powerful weapon that allowed Team Kakashi to destroy the anti-chakra device the Metal had developed."

"How did he get it?" Lee asked.

"Long story," Naruto answered as he set Lee and Gai down and dispelled the green cables. "The ring just came to me, saying I was fearless. It lets me create anything I can imagine out of solid green light."

"How is light solid?"

"I was hoping you could help answer that, Neji," the Hokage answered. "I suspect the ring projects some sort of energy and manipulates it into whatever shape Naruto wishes. I want you to confirm that with your Byakugan, and determine the nature of the ring's power if you can."

"Understood," Neji nodded. "Naruto, recreate the ropes you conjured." Once the Lantern obeyed, he made a quick hand seal, and then: "_Byakugan_!" The veins and arteries in Neji's temples expanded, and his white eyes gained the semblance of a pupil. The Hyuuga prodigy focused his bloodline limit ability on Naruto and his ring, meticulously examining the green energy.

"Interesting," Neji said after some time. "Naruto, can you change the shape of your construct?"

"Will do!" he quickly and enthusiastically replied. With a thought, the tendrils wrapped together and became a massive bowl full of ramen.

"You're certainly enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Yamato said smiling.

"Well, Neji?"

"I cannot be certain, Hokage-sama," Neji answered, "but it appears the ring is channeling massive amounts of energy. The power flows out from the ring itself and coalesces into the shapes Naruto wishes to build. It then folds back into the ring itself and dissipates."

"To where?" Sakura asked him.

"I am unable say. But that's not all. The nature of the ring's energy is strikingly similar to chakra."

Neji's last revelation made everyone in the room shift uncomfortably. "So the ring is some other kind of chakra weapon?" asked Sai.

"As I said, it's not exactly chakra. It's much more compressed, tightly controlled and uniform. Not to mention, it's green, unlike regular blue chakra. However, its composition feels familiar."

"Who or what could have designed such a powerful artifact?" Gai said. "Except for the Tailed Beasts, I've never seen any device able to manipulate chakra or the like with such detail."

"I agree," Yamato added. "None of the countries have the technological capacity for creating something that can also grant limited abilities to others, like Naruto did to the rest of us during the mission."

"Unless," Sakura began, her voice tinged with worry, "the power ring is just like Sasori of the Akatsuki. If it has its own consciousness..."

"Well, it can talk, but not like a real person anyway," Naruto interrupted.

"It can talk too?" came the immediate inquiry from Tsunade. "Then I have some questions for it."

"I think it only talks to me, Tsunade-no-baachan. I'll ask it." Naruto dispelled the ramen bowl and brought his closed fist up to face level. "Hey, ring! You there?"

A firm yet emotionless voice filled the Hokage's chambers: "_Affirmative_."

"Who built you?" Naruto asked it.

"_--Error-- Partial memory core corruption. Unable to process request_."

The ring's reply earned it, and Naruto, a few quizzical stares from his companions. "Memory? Like a computer?" Sakura asked.

"I thought you could do anything, ring!" Naruto complained. "What error? What happened?"

"_Bleed contamination resulting from violent ejection from the Fifty-Two_."

More unknowing glances followed. "You're not making any sense, ring. What's this about bleeding, and what's this fifty-two of?"

"_--Error-- Partial memory core corruption. Unable to process request_."

Tsunade scoffed after the ring's third miss. "Dammit, you broken record, how 'partially' are you corrupted?" she yelled.

"What she said," Naruto ordered the ring after it did not answer the Hokage's question.

"_87% memory banks fragmentation estimated. Construct-generation systems intact_."

"Is there any way to reverse the corruption?"

"_Self-regeneration protocol working at 41% efficiency. Expected completion: two months, eight days, five hours, thirty-five minutes, twenty-one seconds, ninety-four milliseconds_."

"Well that's a no-go," Tenten mused. "Are there any alternatives?"

"Ring?"

"_Await contact from administrator Green Lantern Salaak_."

"Who's Salaak?"

"_--Error-- Partial memory core corruption. Biographical records irretrievable. Processing image data_."

Naruto pointed the ring towards an empty space in the office, where it projected a three-dimensional representation of Salaak. Expecting another person, Naruto and the others gasped when the ring finished rendering the image. Salaak had two legs, but any similarities with humans ended there. The Green Lantern administrator had four arms, no discernible mouth, a pointed chin with two spikes on each side, and a hairless crested head.

"THAT'S Salaak? WHAT is he?" Sakura asked.

By now the ring had apparently registered that it was under questioning from everyone in the room, because it answered Sakura without waiting for Naruto's command: "_Slyggian_."

"Meaning?" Yamato pressed.

"_--Error-- Partial memory core corruption. Unable to process request_."

"How convenient," Sai mused. If not for the seriousness of the moment, Naruto would have been surprised at hearing what appeared to be Sai's attempt at humor.

"Looks like we're not going to get much more information out of the ring until it finishes its repairs," Neji said.

"I have one last question," Tsunade said as she stood up from her desk and approached Naruto. "What is the Green Lantern Corps, and what are its intentions?"

"_Partial response possible. Green Lantern Corps: oldest military institution. Current membership: 5384. Primary mission: protection of the innocent; maintain order. Weapon: power ring_."

"And you chose Naruto because he is fearless?"

"_Uzumaki Naruto has the ability to overcome great fear_."

"I'll take that as a yes," the Hokage accepted. She then turned and went back to her desk.

"What do you want to do, Hokage-sama?" Gai asked the leader of Konoha. Tsunade did not answer immediately and instead folded her hands together, eyes closed. Nobody spoke while she thought.

"Very well," she finally said. "Naruto!"

"Y-yes?" He stiffened, worried that her tone implied he was going to have to relinquish his new prize.

"Until the ring has finished its repairs, I'll allow you to keep it and use it as necessary. Relay any new information you learn about its powers or the rest of the corps immediately. If another Lantern, especially this Salaak, makes contact, you will report back here at once. Furthermore, notwithstanding your new duties to these corps, you are first and foremost a Konoha ninja, and thus answer to me. Understood?" Naruto quickly nodded with a smile. His fear was unfounded. He would still be able to enjoy his new powers. "And also, given the current circumstances regarding the Metal Country, nobody outside this room can find out your identity while using the weapon."

"No sweat!" Naruto said, summoning the facemask and placing it over his eyes.

******************

"Tora-chan! Bad kitty! Get back here, Tora-chan!"

Madam Shijimi, wife of the Fire Country's Daimyo, chased after her brown-colored feline with little success. Unlike her corpulent owner, Tora was at her near physical peak thanks to its repeated escape attempts. While the pudgy noble ran awkwardly, bumping into other villagers and swinging arms back and forth to catch any objects that fell from her purse, coat or blouse, the cat darted between other people's legs, under benches, and through shrubs with graceful ease.

"Tora-chan! Come back to mommy!"

Tora paid little heed to Madam Shijimi's calls and ran even faster instead. A young man carrying several heavy boxes almost tripped when she dashed under him. Madam Shijimi crashed into the same worker and sent him sprawling even as her plump frame pushed on chasing Tora. But Tora had no intention of returning. Using her accumulated speed, the cat rushed up a large tree, ran across a branch, and jumped into the nearest rooftop.

"No, Tora-chan! Bad kitty! Come down right now!"

Tora ignored Madam Shijimi's pleas and continued her race through the roofs of Konoha's buildings. The noble followed from the ground, but she was already panting and sweating terribly thanks to her physical unfitness. At last, Tora saw her freedom in a large fence that cut off further access beyond the next building. Gleefully, she jumped far and high to her liberty.

"Noooooo!" Madam Shijimi wept. "Tora-chaaaaaaaaaan!" she yelled, dramatically reaching out to the flying cat.

The former pet did not even hear the noble's cries. Tora meowed long and joyfully. The red ribbon on her left ear coincidentally fell off, symbolizing her liberation. She could almost hear the sound of angelic trumpets and see beautiful sparkles in the air around her. A single tear rolled from her eyes into her whiskers. The green sky never looked so…

Tora stopped herself. Green sky? Green road? Green everything? Only then did she find that she was not moving. She was floating above the road, trapped within some sort of emerald orb.

"I think you dropped this," a male voice said from behind her. She felt a slight pressure on her ear, and the familiar feeling of wearing her ribbon came back. She glanced around with some effort, until she saw a floating teen in a green uniform with a beam of light shooting from his closed right hand. The boy was wearing a small mask, but the hair…

"_HIM_." Tora's simple mind yelled.

It was him. It had been almost three years, but she recognized her captor instantly. Regardless of how he was floating and encased her in light, she knew he was the ninja that had caught her the first time she had escaped.

"You shouldn't run away like that," Naruto told the fugitive cat. "You'd hurt the people that care about you."

Naruto descended towards the astonished Madam Shijimi and a small crowd that was gathering around him. Tora thrashed and hissed, and at times swiped her claws at Naruto to no avail due to the barrier surrounding her. The cat's desperation turned to horror the instant her captor released her and her owner glomped her.

"Tora-chan! You had mommy so worried!" the madam said, hugging her pet tightly. Tora instead meowed sorrowfully under her owner's crushing embrace. "Whoever you are, thank you for bringing my Tora-chan back!"

"Just doing my job, ma'am," Naruto replied.

"Are you some new kind of ninja? What's your name?" random people in the crowd asked him.

"I'm Uz…" Naruto stopped himself before his real name slipped. Thanks to the thrill of freely using his new powers again, he almost broke Tsunade's order to not reveal his identity. Keeping his excitement in check, he instead answered. "I'm the Green Lantern, Konoha's newest hero!"

"Green Lantern… looks cool… how'd he do that… he's cute," were some of the murmurs he picked up from the crowd.

"Oh, thank you so much, dear!" Madam Shijimi said, taking his hand and shaking it vigorously. Tora struggled in vain to get free from her lessened grip. "Here, let me get you something for your trouble," she added, reaching into her purse.

"That's ok," Naruto answered, holding his ring hand up towards her. "I don't really need…"

"Please, dear, I insist!" the fat woman interrupted, shoving a few bills to his open hand. "After all, you saved me the trouble of having to hire the ninjas' services. They're really expensive these days, you know!" A few villagers nodded in agreement.

"Uh…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, dear," Madam Shijimi continued, "they're good at what they do. But they're still charging so much even after the reconstruction finished, even for simple missions! Why, the other day they charged me 500 Ryou for just retrieving Tora-chan again, but they were using kids for the mission! They said one of the children was the late Hokage's grandson, but still…"

The Daimyo's wife droned on, but Naruto wasn't listening. Instead he was doing his best to keep a straight face while he tried to stop the ring from sparking. It was taking all of his willpower to not use it on her. "I gotta get going now," he said to her with a forced smile.

"Oh, of course, Mr. Green Lantern," she finished. "More people to help out of the kindness of your heart like me and my Tora-chan." Her cat hissed in reply. "Thank you again for your help!"

"No problem!" With that, Naruto floated up and away. Casting a glance back, he gave a quick wave to the awed crowd. Madam Shijimi and the rest of the gathered waved back at him excitedly.

All except Tora, who bore her fangs and hissed at the Green Lantern with a hateful glare.

******************

The rest of the morning Naruto continued his aerial patrol of Konoha. Learning to fly under complete control took extra effort; it was as if learning to walk all over again, but little by little he was getting better. When he found someone in need of help, he quickly dove in to resolve whatever situation he had stumbled upon. In a few hours he had put out a fire by dumping a water tank on the blaze, built five new emergency shelters with custom-made tools, found a missing baby thanks to the ring's detailed scans, literally netted a shoplifter, and helped an old lady carry her groceries. He even delivered fresh supplies to Ichiraku Ramen and gotten a free meal out of it. Teuchi almost guessed his identity when Naruto accepted the offer a bit too eagerly.

Wherever he flew, villagers pointed up to him and the trail of green light he left behind in amazement, some even with a bit of fear. But news of his deeds traveled fast and by early afternoon the citizens cheered him on.

"I could get used to this," Naruto said to himself as he waved to a crowd of children pointing at him from the ground. He was rushing a couple to the hospital after the woman had gone into labor on the other side of town. The trio quickly arrived, and Naruto darted through the doors without bothering to land. "Incoming! Soon-to-be-mom coming through!" he yelled. A few nurses jumped aside from the surprise, but a few gathered their wits and brought a wheelchair for the expectant mother. Naruto gently sat her and landed her husband.

"We can't thank you enough, Green Lantern," the woman said amid heavy breaths and groans.

"Nah, it's nothing," Naruto answered.

"You'll have to tell us your name later," the husband said while he followed his wife and the nurse into the emergency room. "We'd very much like to name our boy after you."

Naruto blushed fiercely from the man's request. "HUH? You… Uh… me, I, um… I mean," he stammered, but by the time he was coherent, the jubilant couple was gone.

"So you're the new hero that's upstaging us ninjas all across the village," someone said. Naruto turned to the speaker, who was just walking out into the main lobby.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto blurted without thinking.

"Yo," the copy ninja saluted Naruto with his usual simple greeting. "So it's just like Tenzo said."

Naruto breathed easy. "So you're in the know?"

"It's not too difficult to figure out," Kakashi nodded. "Not too many have spiky blond hair and whiskers on their face, Naru..."

"Shh! It's a secret!" Naruto shushed his teacher. He floated over to him and whispered: "Tsunade-no-baachan asked me not to let anyone else know."

"Sorry, sorry," Kakashi waved him off with both hands. "You still need to tell me the whole story."

"Sure, but not here," Naruto said while he glanced around. Naturally, the nurses and patients were all staring at them talking.

"I know just the place", Kakashi suggested.

Minutes later, Naruto and Kakashi sat on top of the Hokage Monument watching the whole of Konoha. Naruto did most of the talking, explaining to the former ANBU Jounin how he got the power ring and how he had been using it since the last day. Kakashi interrupted a few times to ask questions, which Naruto answered as best he could.

"Looks like you won't need the super-special training I was going to give you," Kakashi said after Naruto finished telling the whole story.

"Heh, so I've already surpassed you, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto joked.

"In a way. At least you'd be a very different type of opponent to fight." Kakashi stood up and looked directly at Naruto. "So what will you do now?" Kakashi asked.

"Do what now?" the Genin asked, glancing at his teacher.

"I mean, what do you plan to do with these new abilities?"

Naruto scratched his head. "Huh... to be honest I hadn't thought about it too much." He turned again to Kakashi with a more determined face and added: "At least, once I really get the hang of this ring, I'll bring back Sasuke even if I have to beat some sense into him first! And while I'm at it, I'll beat up Orochimaru!" he said, making a small comical construct of him standing triumphantly over the defeated Sannin. "And if Akatsuki comes after me, then POW!" he emphasized, punching his palm. "Becoming Hokage would be just a step away!"

"Just like that, huh..." Kakashi said in a tone that did not share Naruto's enthusiasm.

"You don't think I can do it?" he asked back, taking a guess at Kakashi's unsaid thoughts.

"Not like that," Kakashi denied. "But just because you got a great power doesn't mean you're invincible. You yourself have accomplished that before, remember?"

"You mean that Akatsuki bomb guy?"

"He's a good example," Kakashi nodded. "The same one that defeated Gaara-kun, whom you also defeated years ago. While he still had Shukaku, I should add."

"Gaara..." Memories of the Chuunin exam resurfaced, of how he had help from the great toad Gamabunta to stop the massive sand badger Ichibi and save Sakura and the rest of Konoha. That loss allowed Gaara to return to his country a changed person who eventually rose to become Sunagakure's Kazekage. "Still, that was then. I mean, with the power ring, I was able to hold off a whole country!"

"So did Sasori, and Chiyo-sama and Sakura killed him," the Jounin countered. Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but he had none to voice, so he scowled instead. Kakashi sat back down and crossed his legs.

"So you're saying I should just stop using the ring?" the Lantern finally said.

"On the contrary. Don't take this the wrong way, Naruto. I think the ring made its own decision to choose you, and only you, out of every other person in this world, to bear its powers. That should tell you something. But as your sensei, it's my responsibility to make sure you understand that power alone is not enough." When Naruto faced Kakashi directly, he continued: "You've never fought in an actual war. Suna and Otogakure's attack was a minor skirmish in comparison. I remember that time; even the toughest ninjas fell back then. Hyuugas, Iwa-nin... Uchihas..." Naruto wondered momentarily why Kakashi paused after mentioning Sasuke's clan. "Even the best of us have a weakness. A powerful jutsu is worthless if it leaves you open during or after using it. Keep this in mind when you're using these new powers," Kakashi said while Naruto looked again closely at the Green Lantern ring. "No weapon is perfect. Be mindful of its weaknesses, and work around them to accomplish your objectives."

"But what kind of weakness would a ring that can do anything have?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"Eventually you'll find out," Kakashi said, "hopefully not at the worst time."

Naruto chuckled. "On that I definitely agree!" Kakashi nodded.

"We can continue later. Looks like we have a visitor," he said, turning to check in the direction of the library at the mountain's summit.

"Perceptive as ever, Kakashi-taichou," a hidden voice said. Naruto turned to wherever Kakashi was facing, and found a crouching ANBU with a bird-shaped mask.

"You have something to report?" the former ANBU asked his junior.

"Actually, my business is with your companion," the spy answered, glancing at Naruto. The latter stood up and faced the newcomer. "So you are this Green Lantern the villagers are gossiping about. I thought you'd be taller."

"And I thought you'd be sneakier instead of being caught so easily," Naruto shot back annoyed. Kakashi and the ANBU sweatdropped.

"Regardless, it is fortunate you were with Kakashi-taichou. I expected to have more trouble finding you," he said. He reached into his pocket and tossed Naruto a scroll, which he caught with a bubble construct. "Hokage-sama asks for your help in a mission she believes will be adequately suited for your unique skills."

Naruto brought the scroll to him, opened it, and read its contents. "You want me to clean up the Forest of Death?"

"Hokage-sama wants you to cull it," the ANBU corrected. "The hazardous flora and fauna population has increased to unacceptable levels. We lost too many teams in the last Chuunin exams, and to properly correct the problem would require more shinobi than we can currently spare."

Naruto smirked at the opportunity. If he finished the mission single-handedly when it would normally take multiple squads, he would prove without a doubt to everyone that he was more than apt to keep the power ring for good. If he was lucky, he could even attract the attention of the rest of the Corps and find out more about them and the nature of the ring. "I'll do it right away and be done in no time!" he proclaimed.

"Very well. I shall inform Hokage-sama of your acceptance," the ANBU said. "Kakashi-taichou, always an honor."

"Yeah," Kakashi acknowledged. The ANBU then jumped back towards the library's roof.

"One last thing, Lantern," the ANBU said as he turned his head towards Naruto, "thanks for helping my nana with her food shopping." With that the elite ninja vanished and left the rookie Green Lantern chuckling and his sensei wondering.

"Time to go to work!" Naruto exclaimed. He hopped off the mountain and floated a bit away.

"Remember what I told you, Naruto," Kakashi said. "The ring should be one more tool in your whole arsenal. Don't forget what you've learned as a shinobi."

"Relax, Kakashi-sensei. I'll be fine." Then Naruto sped off in a blazing trail of light, leaving Kakashi alone with his thoughts.

"Sensei... I hope you're proud of your legacy. I am," Kakashi said to the effigy just below him.

Minutes later, Naruto arrived at the entrance to the Forest of Death. Officially called the 44th Battle Training Zone, the area had earned its nickname due to the large number of massive beasts and lethal plants that culled the unfit Genin from the Chuunin Exams, many times with fatal results. From his floating position, he could see the far off tower at the center of the forest.

"Right, here I go! Those beasts better beware my power, Green Lantern's light!" he yelled out before flying into the thick trees. The dense canopy blocked most of the sunlight, which left the interior dimmed in a faint twilight. The sudden change was slightly jarring. "OK, first I'll hunt some bugs."

Naruto flew around randomly through the forest and searched for any giant insects that lived there. He relied primarily on his eyesight, though from time to time he used the ring to look at more obscure locations. The minutes rolled on, but he had not found a single insect, even from the normal-sized variety.

"What's going on here?" he wondered out loud. "Maybe if I pose as prey..." To test his theory, he landed and dimmed his aura. "Hey, over here! Dinner's on me!" he yelled. To attract even more attention, he made a bell construct and clanged it as hard as he could. When that failed to turn up anything, he morphed the bell into a bullhorn and screamed into it: "Are you all deaf? I'm right here! Come and eat me!" Again, the only reply from the forest was silence.

It was then he really noticed how quiet the forest itself was. Aside from the faint rustling of leaves in the weak wind, there was no other sound coming from the site. "This is weird. Ring, look for animals close by."

"_Scanning_," the ring responded. After a few seconds, it said: "_No life forms detected in fifty meters_."

This unnerved Naruto. "Nothing? Not even an ant or bee?"

"_Negative_."

Naruto glanced around. "What's wrong here?"

"_They are afraid_."

"Afraid? What's that have to do with anything?"

"_Please restate inquiry_."

"Ugh, not your stupid errors again," he complained. "Whatever. Ring, scan for life forms in one hundred meters."

"_Scanning_." Again, the ring answered after a few seconds: "_No life forms detected in one hundred meters_."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. He took another look around. "What's going on here?" he said, a single drop of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Ring, find closest life form!"

"_Scanning_." This time the ring took a little longer to answer than before. "_Closest life form located two-hundred and thirty-six point four meters southeast_." Without hesitation, Naruto took off and flew in the direction the ring indicated.

"I'm gonna have to talk to Tsunade-no-baachan about this. Did someone do the mission before I got here?"

"_Perhaps_."

"Well, aren't you talkative," he told the ring. "Usually I have to ask you for something first."

"_Command not registered. Please restate_."

"What are you talking about? You spoke first!"

"_Look to your right_."

Naruto obeyed the ring. He yelled out when he saw a giant snake glaring at him a few inches away. He immediately conjured a massive axe that beheaded the serpent, and then backed off as the head splattered to the ground.

"A leftover from Orochimaru?" he said while panting. "But I thought you said there were no..." Naruto stopped when he saw the snake's body was still prone in attack position even as its severed head coated the forest floor thick with bloody ichor. He examined it closer, and was stunned by the wooden spike that jutted from the ground and impaled the serpent through its front neck. Mouth agape, he had to float down before he lost his concentration.

"_Gruesome, is it not_?" Naruto could not answer. More blood dripped from the severed neck, but not enough to suggest it had died recently.

"Wh... what did this?"

"_Unknown_."

Naruto shook his head. With his composure regained, he addressed the ring: "You think that life form you found has anything to do with this?"

"_Perhaps. Unknown_."

"Dammit, make up your mind!" he said absent-mindedly.

"_Are you afraid?_" the ring asked. It was a strange question for it to ask, Naruto thought.

"Just spooked. It'll pass. Now let's find whatever did this," he said. Not wanting any more sudden surprises, he walked instead to where the ring was directing him via a faint light beam. A short distance away, he found a second animal dead on the ground. He knelt and checked the squirrel and found a single puncture that pierced its heart and crossed all the way to its back. He walked on, and as he did he found a disturbing amount of dead creatures on his route. From giant leeches and centipedes to deer and tigers, his path was strewn with mutilated animal corpses. A cold chill crept down his back.

"_Unnerved_?"

"This is wrong," Naruto answered. "Someone did this. No animal is so cruel."

"_Were you not sent here for the same purpose_?"

"I would've been quick about it at least," he countered. He stopped when he reached a clearing littered with more dead bodies. "Horrible... Who did this to you all? Ring, where's that life form?"

"_Life form readings lost_."

"Huh? It should be here! Where did it go? Was it one of these animals?"

"_Negative. Life form identified as human_."

"Then where is he!?"

"_Unknown_."

Naruto growled and punched the nearest tree. "Dammit! What's going on here?"

"_Are you afraid_?"

"What's up with you!?" he yelled at the ring. "You want me to say yes or something?"

"_Maybe you should just give up_."

Naruto almost yelled back at the ring, but then he remembered the first thing it had told him a few nights ago. He glanced around one more time, this time using his ninja senses instead of relying on the power ring. "You're not the ring. You talk about fear, when the ring is about no fear!"

The Lantern shot his arm up and released a thick beam of light towards a tree on the far side of the clearing. The instant the beam hit, a humanoid figure jumped from behind it and landed a short distance away in front of Naruto.

"It's about time you figured it out, Naruto-kun," the man said. Naruto instantly recognized the black and red cloak and the face of his enemy, and quickly looked down to avoid his penetrating gaze.

"Uchiha... Itachi..." Naruto wasted no time and raised his green aura to full strength. "What are you doing here? Back again to try and capture me? You should've brought your shark friend along for that." Without making eye contact, Naruto aimed his ring straight at the Akatsuki.

"Kisame is... indisposed at this time."

"And is this massacre your doing?"

"A test," he answered calmly.

"Well congratulations, you're still the same bloodthirsty killer as always," Naruto shot.

"It was more than a test of my prowess, Naruto-kun," Itachi said. He took a step forward, and Naruto responded by charging his ring for another blast. "So the rumors are true. You've come into possession of a great power."

"You heard right," the blonde answered. "I'm gonna do great things with it, starting with taking you out!"

"Ah, yes, the part about defeating me and my companions, and rescuing my foolish little brother," Itachi taunted. "I heard you when you spoke with Kakashi-san."

Naruto stiffened when he heard Itachi's words. "You... you were there?"

"In a way," the Uchiha cryptically answered. "It matters not. What matters is that I am here, right where you want me. Though I still believe you are not capable of defeating me."

"Stick around," Naruto retorted. "I'll do the same thing to you that I did to the Metal!"

"Very well." Itachi opened up his arms, inviting Naruto to attack. Strangely, he kept his hands inside the cloak's sleeves. "Here I am."

"BEWARE MY POWER!" Naruto released the charge from his ring. A beam of green light shot forth straight towards Itachi, who barely jumped over the incredibly fast attack. The forest behind him exploded, scattering wood, rock, and dust across the clearing. To avoid any ambushes, Naruto shot up to the sky and then cleared the dust with a large fan. Itachi was gone, and to his surprise, so were the animal corpses.

"He had me in a Genjutsu all that time?" he guessed. It unnerved him that Itachi had suckered him even as a Green Lantern. "Ring, listen closely. Make my mask a blinder so no energy can come through, but make it so that I can somehow still see what's going on."

"_Complying. Adapting for virtual optics_." For an instant, Naruto's world went black, but instantly came back, except everything was covered in a green hue. From the corner of his eye he saw an incoming kunai, which he promptly caught with a summoned target dummy. The dummy then took the knife, charged it with green energy, and threw it back where it came from, causing another explosion. Itachi emerged from the dust with his cloak somewhat dirty and damaged, but otherwise unscathed. Naruto immediately dove towards him.

"_Katon, Gokakyu no Jutsu_." Itachi breathed deep and released a massive fireball that raced towards Naruto. Unabated, the Green Lantern plowed through the attack and emerged unscathed. He immediately followed up by showering Itachi with conjured shuriken. A few caught and tore at his cloak, but again the Uchiha murderer dodged out of the way. Naruto kept up the pressure, following Itachi from the safety of the air and sending more attacks his way. Itachi dodged and attacked back, throwing his own kunai and fire jutsus, which Naruto blocked easily by expanding his aura into a shield sphere.

"Is this all you can do without Genjutsu?" Naruto taunted. Itachi did not answer and instead spit out large globs of water that took his shape. Thanks to Naruto's enhanced mask, he was able to see the real one vanish back into the trees. "Get back here!" In a single motion, the ring speared the five clones and electrocuted them with green energy, while a mass of toad constructs descended around his opponent and blocked off his exit further into the woods. Itachi emerged again and jumped to land a point-blank _Gokakyu_. The green shield held, and Naruto used the opportunity to summon two large fists that grabbed Itachi and threw him hard to the ground. At the last second the Uchiha turned and landed on his feet.

"Impressive, Naruto-kun," he said. "I might have to take you seriously."

"You're a little late for that," Naruto taunted with a wide grin. Before Itachi could ask, he felt a tight grip on his legs. He looked down, surprised, and saw his lower half was trapped in concrete. In an instant, a mass of vines tethered his arms and two thick chains collared his neck. "You thought I was throwing all those shurikens for show? I left them underground until you were close enough for me to turn them into traps."

"Trickery does not become you, Naruto-kun," Itachi said. "Do you think this will hold me? You know that I'm capable of more."

"I won't let you do more!"

"Do you really believe I would come here without knowing what you can do as a Lantern? That I would not have a way to capture you even with your new powers?"

"You're bluffing," Naruto said. "You're caught. I can tell that's the real you chained."

"It matters not. When I free myself, you will see that even with your ring, you are still weak." Naruto grit his teeth. Instead of answering Itachi, he summoned dozens of glowing green globes of power that surrounded his opponent ominously.

"It's over," Naruto declared.

"No. It has only begun. Are you afraid?"

"NO!"

"You should be. You will be."

Naruto yelled and threw his fist forward, just as Itachi finally exposed his right hand closed into a fist. At the Lantern's command, the spheres descended upon the trapped Itachi and detonated on impact in a destructive green and yellow fireball. A vast cloud of dust covered the battlefield and engulfed Naruto as well. Satisfied, Naruto descended and landed in front of where his opponent would be.

"Sasuke, your clan is avenged," he said. "I did it."

"You... did... NOTHING," Itachi's voice boomed from within the dust cloud. Naruto gasped and whirled around, aiming the ring everywhere.

"Where are you?" he yelled. "How did..."

"My first Genjutsu was not a test of my abilities. I was testing you and the Green Lantern Corps's power ring. I was testing your fear." Naruto kept trying to find Itachi, but his voice was indistinct and the dust obscured his view.

"How do you know about the Corps?" Naruto shot back.

"Your fear allowed me to fool not just you, but your ring as well," was Itachi's answer.

"Ring, find him!"

"_Fear overriding willpower_," it answered. Naruto had no time to ask it what it meant, because then a strong wind blew off all the smoke. Itachi was still there, chained and bound, but he was surrounded by a shield sphere much like his own green one. Despite his mask showing him an emerald-colored virtual reality, Itachi's own construct appeared bright yellow. The globe dissipated, but a bright golden glow still shone from Itachi's right fist. The moving light centered on his middle finger, where, to Naruto's horror, the Uchiha wore a ring just like his own.

"I know your fears, Naruto-kun. Despite your naive bravado, you are afraid. Of your failures. Of your weakness. And of me." The concrete binding his legs crumbled, the tendrils withered, and the chains rusted. Naruto stood, cold sweat drenching his face, unable to react as Itachi broke free from the green constructs with the least of efforts. "You are afraid. You are ready to see that yours is not the only light to shine."

As Itachi spoke, he ripped off the last of his worn Akatsuki cloak, revealing a tight black suit beneath, adorned with yellow spike-shaped patterns coming down from his neck and shoulders down to his torso. Thick amber boots and armbands completed his new garment. Like Naruto's Lantern uniform, the Uchiha's suit bore a sigil in its center, but the logo's shape was different, with two handles coming from the bottom of the inner circle and wrapping up to its top. Petrified, Naruto couldn't help but stare at Itachi's eyes, where now the same symbol overlapped his Sharingan and made them glow yellow instead of red. The Uchiha prodigy tossed the remains of his cloak aside, and a golden miasma seeped from his ring to cover him and his surroundings.

"_In blackest day,  
in brightest night,  
B__eware your fears made into light_.  
Let those who try to stop what's right,  
_Burn like my power,  
Uchiha's might_."

Itachi raised his own yellow power ring in a slow, almost casual motion, and aimed it directly at his awestruck opponent. "Tell me, Naruto-kun... what is your greatest fear?"

* * *

Fear: (n) an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; anxious concern; reason for alarm or apprehension.

I apologize for taking so long to submit this. My attention was focused on other important matters. To compensate, I've made this one longer than usual. I even ended up writing the last five pages yesterday night!

Things started well for the rookie Green Lantern, but now they're not looking so good. Itachi has him outclassed in both ninja skills and in wearing yellow, the GL ring's main weakness. How do you think he'll get out of this one?

And is it just me, or does Tora remind me a bit of Dex-Starr back in the DC universe? I wonder… nah, there are better Red Lantern candidates than another cat.

Unless...


	6. Your Fears Made Into Light

Chapter 5: Your Fears Made Into Light

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space sector 2814._

_And I am in deep shit._

Itachi raised his own yellow power ring in a slow, almost casual motion, and aimed it directly at his awestruck opponent. "Tell me, Naruto-kun... what is your greatest fear?"

Naruto answered by blasting Itachi again. The older ninja nonchalantly swatted the green beam away, which obliterated another patch of forest but left him and his right hand unscathed.

"Now you see the limits of your ring," he said. "A fearful Green Lantern is a worthless Green Lantern." He casually took a few steps towards Naruto.

"Stay away!" Naruto yelled at him. He shot another beam that bounced off Itachi's aura.

"I suppose you are not as fearless as you or your ring believed," the yellow-clad Uchiha said. "This should be quick."

"I'm not done yet!" Naruto yelled. He flew towards Itachi and hit him with a green fist. Instead of knocking him, the blow shattered the yellow-clad Lantern like glass. "Wha..." The broken fragments grew, pulsed, and morphed into large yellow ravens that immediately swarmed Naruto. "Get off me!" he screamed as he vainly swatted the birds away. They attacked him relentlessly, pecking, biting and clawing wherever they could. Naruto shot straight up and made enough distance from the ravens to bombard them with a barrage of lasers that struck the birds with uncanny precision. But once again, the ravens split into smaller crows, and the speedier constructs rushed and overwhelmed Naruto.

"Dammit!" he cursed. He expanded his aura into a spherical shield that the crows immediately attacked. Their beaks cracked the ball like an eggshell with little effort, and soon the constructs surrounded him. Naruto could not see anything except moving yellow blurs that completely blocked his sight.

"Over here." Naruto grunted and turned his head around. He barely caught sight of Itachi, who then slammed his fist into the younger ninja and sent him reeling to the ground below. But before Naruto crashed, Itachi caught him in a summoned rope and hauled him back up. Desperately, the Green Lantern created a pair of scissors and tried to cut the rope, but his construct broke after several unfruitful attempts and the split blades fell into the forest. "Is this all your pithy willpower can accomplish?"

"Not even close," Naruto countered. As Itachi pondered his target's answer, he heard a strong rustling growing louder. He turned to see a large tree, surrounded by a green aura, flying straight towards him. Its base was cleanly cut, and embedded in it was a broken piece of the scissor-construct he had created moments ago. The dark-haired Akatsuki was forced to release his captive as he quickly spun and brought forth a massive bear trap construct that crushed the tree.

To Itachi's surprise, a second tree crashed into him from behind. Naruto used his ring to aim the tree back down, crushing Itachi. He wasted no time and summoned a massive hammer and pounded his opponent, which flattened the tree and Itachi. Naruto, panting, dissolved the hammer once he felt confident the evil lantern was finished. He floated down...

And found a wooden log where Itachi used to be.

"_Kawarimi_!?"

"You've improved, Naruto-kun," Itachi taunted. Naruto looked up towards his enemy, and was instantly blinded by the glowing afternoon sun behind him. He willed his mask to block the intense light, but despite the resulting green tint on his sight Itachi retained a clashing golden hue. "But it appears that in flaunting your new skills you are content to forsake others."

"What do you mean?"

"You have no hope of defeating me. I am the superior Lantern, just as I am the superior shinobi." With that, his hands performed lighting-fast seals and ended with the Tiger gesture. "_Katon, Gokakyu no jutsu_." The elder ninja spewed forth a massive orange fireball that scorched the air and raced towards Naruto.

The Green Lantern immediately constructed a great shield to block the incoming jutsu. The fireball slammed against the shield and exploded, engulfing Naruto and his surroundings in searing heat. If not for the force field surrounding him, he would have shared the fate of the now barren clearing. But as Naruto held back the last of the flames, he saw a number of yellow gleams emerging from within the fiery remnants. Six kunai constructs, hidden within the jutsu, tore through his shield and aura with ease.

"Gyah!" Naruto yelled as the energy blades dug into his shoulders, legs and chest, with one last blade glancing his right cheek.

"Well, Naruto-kun? What do you think of my better power ring?" Itachi taunted from behind the last of the dissipating flames.

"Screw you," Naruto grunted. His opponent answered by making the yellow kunais twist and sink deeper into his skin. Naruto grit his teeth and grunted heavily but did not give Itachi the pleasure of screaming again.

"Don't worry. You should know by now that I have no intention of killing you." He waved his hand, and the five knives grew hooks that held Naruto firm, along with thick ropes that tethered back to Itachi's ring. "You are of much more use to me alive."

"I won't let you take me back to Akatsuki!"

"I was not referring to those tools," Itachi countered.

"It doesn't matter! I'm still gonna kick your butt!"

"Hmph. You are certainly doing a good job of it," Itachi joked.

Naruto did not respond to his enemy's taunt, and instead forced his hands together into a seal despite the pain. "_Kage Bunshin no jutsu_!" Five clones appeared around him, and while he held them in the air with his ring's power, they all grabbed the yellow tendrils and pulled hard. As Itachi was dragged down towards Naruto and his shadow clones, they carefully but quickly released the real Naruto and threw the hooks at Itachi. The latter dismissed the hooks and increased his momentum towards Naruto, and he ordered his clones to intercept Itachi while he created green bandages for his wounds. The clones flew up and approached Itachi with increasing speed.

"Vanish." Itachi shot at the five clones, who dodged the beams and brandished katanas the real Naruto created for them. Itachi dodged the first clone and kicked him, making it disappear in a puff, but the other four took advantage of Itachi's opening. They yelled menacingly and readied their swords.

Suddenly the clones' katanas, and the aura around them, disappeared without warning. The clones crashed hard to the forest floor and dissolved into smoke. Itachi stopped and observed the result with curiosity, while Naruto gaped.

"What the hell!?"

"_Warning. Power levels 12%_," the green ring said.

"You have a limit!?" Naruto yelled at it. "When where you planning on telling me!?"

"_Inquiry never stated_."

"How amusing," Itachi commented with a smile. Though it was only the second time Naruto saw Sasuke's brother grin like that, it somehow made him appear even more menacing. "It appears your little heroics this morning came at a price."

"You..." Naruto whispered. He wondered how long Akatsuki had been watching him since he had gotten the ring.

"You are my target, after all. Now, it's time we left, Naruto-kun," Itachi said before he extended his hand out to Naruto invitingly.

"Get away!" In desperation, Naruto threw his arm forward and let loose a brilliant flash from his ring. Despite its green tint, the brightness enveloped Itachi, who was forced to cover his eyes to protect them from the intense light. When it subsided, the Sinestro recruit saw that his target had disappeared.

"I didn't expect him to actually run away," Itachi said to himself. "Ring, trace Green Lantern energy signature."

"_Green Lantern energy readings minimal. Unable to locate target_," his yellow ring answered.

"If he leaves the forest he may gather support..." Itachi wondered. "Ring, based on present readings, extrapolate perimeter boundaries where he may be located." His weapon complied, and presented him with a diagram of the forest, which then zoomed in on a large subsection. Itachi wasted no time and sped off in pursuit.

******************

Deep in the dense Forest of Death, Naruto flew away from the battle site. He had lowered his ring's aura to a minimum to preserve power and avoid detection, and he flew almost skimming the soil beneath him.

"Any trace of Itachi?" he asked the ring.

"_Minimum target distance is 147 meters_."

"You can't pinpoint him exactly?"

"_Negative_," the ring replied. It then added: "_Warning. Power levels 10%_."

"This'll have to do for now." Naruto landed near a mass of shrubs and promptly ducked into the densest one he could find. He silently observed his surroundings, and once he was convinced Itachi was nowhere near he addressed the ring: "Why didn't you tell me you have a power limit?"

"_Inquiry never stated_," the ring answered again.

"Kakashi-sensei was right, dammit," he scoffed. "OK, ring, then I'm inquiring now. Tell me everything about your weaknesses, starting with this power level thingy."

"_Partial response possible. Periodic charging required to maintain power levels for construct generation, flight, and hostile environment protection. Minimal power reserves stored for emergency protection and minor administrative protocols. Total charge supplies power for approximately twenty-four standard hours_."

"How do you recharge?"

"_Periodic recharge through personal Green Lantern power battery required_."

"And where's mine?"

"_Unknown. Await contact from administrator Green Lantern Salaak_."

"Then can't you contact him!?"

"_--Error-- Unable to locate Oa_."

"Why? What's this Oa? What do you..." before Naruto could finish asking, the ground rattled and a loud boom reverberated across the forest. The young ninja scanned the area but did not find any trace of Itachi. "Never mind that for now. Tell me more about Itachi's ring, and why you can't seem to do squat against him."

"_Subject Uchiha Itachi drafted to the Sinestro Corps_."

"The what?"

"_Partial response possible. Sinestro Corps: villainous analogue of the Green Lantern Corps, founded by former Green Lantern Sinestro of Sector 1417. Primary objective: control and conquest through instilling great fear. Primary weapon: yellow power ring, possessing abilities equal to green power ring_."

"If they're equal, why can't you do anything to his constructs?"

"_Green energy polluted by yellow impurity. Offensive and defensive systems weakened against yellow_."

"Seriously?" Naruto asked, surprised. "It's just a color."

"It's the color of fear," a voice spoke from above. Naruto stiffened upon hearing Itachi. He immediately dimmed his ring's force field to its absolute minimum. He then scanned the area around as well as above him as stealthily as he could. Despite the voice, there was no trace of the Sinestro Corps member.

"Where is he?" Naruto whispered to himself.

"You cannot hide forever, Naruto-kun," Itachi spoke again. Naruto tried to pinpoint from where he heard it, but the dense forest deflected the origin of the sound too much.

A deep silence filled the forest. Naruto dared not move an inch. His mask began to slip as his face sweat, and his uniform felt unnervingly tight all of a sudden. The quiet atmosphere was broken by the quickening beat of his own heart.

"There you are," Itachi said. Naruto gasped. He whirled around, and yet Itachi was nowhere to be seen. From his side he saw a very faint yellow glow, and when he spun to face it, he stared straight into a slanted yellow mirror. The fine crystal construct reflected the light from another precisely aimed mirror, then to another, and another, until it ended with an image of Itachi's penetrating gaze.

"_Parallax Sharingan_!"

The world disappeared into blackness. Instantly, Naruto found himself in a rocky barren wasteland and crucified to a lone dead tree by yellow constructs. The sky was a sickening amber, and the weak sunlight was repeatedly obscured by obsidian clouds.

"Is this... his _Tsukiyomi_? Dammit..." Naruto cursed.

"So Kakashi-san spoke to you about it. Good," Itachi said. He floated casually in front of Naruto with his arms crossed. Naruto struggled to free himself, but the binding ropes that tied him and the kunais pinning him to the wood did not allow him. "Don't waste your strength, Naruto-kun. I am in full control of this world."

Naruto clenched his teeth and remembering his ring, he tried to create any construct to attack Itachi, but his ring did not respond at all.

"That won't work," Itachi said. "As I said, this is my world, magnified by the power of fear."

"Quit your stupid talk about fear!" Naruto bellowed.

"You're right, I don't need to remind you anymore, now that you are clearly afraid."

"So what?" the Green Lantern countered. "Fear's just an emotion! I'll find a way to get out of this, then I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"Just an emotion?" Itachi asked. He flew closer to Naruto and said as he did so: "How did Konoha's leaders react during your first Chuunin exam when they learned Orochimaru had his own plans? What do many feel when they hear the name of Akatsuki? What feelings does the Kyuubi you yourself hold evoke on your countrymen? How did you feel when you saw my own power ring? How would you feel... about this?"

After the last question, the world behind Itachi rippled and pulsed, and while he, Itachi and the tree did not move, the rest of the landscape rushed past them. Naruto gasped when they stopped outside what would be the top of the Hokage monument, looking down on a devastated, burning Konoha. He saw as the buildings toppled and the flames devoured the life of the village. His view zoomed in onto the Hokage building, where there lay the still and bloodied bodies of his friends and comrades. The tree and binds vanished, but before he had any chance to react, a strong fist grabbed him by the collar, and soon he found himself helplessly struggling under the grip of the sole attacker.

"Sa... Sasuke?" The real Naruto was horrified to see his former teammate holding him effortlessly, while to his side Kakashi and Sakura lay dead, impaled by two katanas crackling with electricity.

"Why, Sasuke, WHY!?" Naruto yelled as tears rolled uncontrollably from his eyes. Sasuke raised him up by his neck, and as the image struggled, the flames burned off Sasuke's face to reveal Orochimaru's serpentine features stare back.

"Sasuke-kun and I are one. And we will have our revenge on all," the former Sannin said. He tightened his grip on Naruto's neck. He stiffened as a sickening crack reverberated over the sound of the fire and all sound and sight died immediately afterwards.

A split-second later, which seemed an unforgiving eternity to Naruto, he and Itachi were back in the same desolate landscape. Naruto breathed heavily and his heart slowly returned from its frantic beating. "How did it feel?" Itachi asked. Naruto couldn't answer. "Was the fear and sorrow you felt just some nuisance?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Naruto yelled. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"There is no need for rage, Naruto-kun," Itachi replied calmly. "Your home and comrades are safe, at least for the moment. I merely wished to prove to you the power of emotions."

"Power... of emotions?" Naruto repeated amid heavy breaths.

"Fear is not just an emotion, not just a warning against danger," Itachi said. "Fear has power. Power to control your subordinates or paralyze your enemies. It can sow chaos or force order. All the Sinestro Corps has done is harness that living power to fuel the yellow rings."

Naruto narrowed his vision and frowned slightly. "Now I know you're crazy. The ring's fuel is emotion?"

"Believe what you wish. How exactly such technology or jutsu functions is unimportant, but it's effects are undeniable. Your own willpower, manifested as the light of the Green Lanterns, should be proof enough for you. Willpower, and fear, are very much alive."

The tree Naruto was hung to began to shake. It was a slow periodic bristle at first, but it quickly grew to an earth-shaking tremor that sent pain shooting through Naruto's nailed limbs. He grunted and tried to break free again, but the ethereal kunais held fast. The dead plant glowed bright yellow and began to creep out of its rooted spot. The branches themselves moved and arced downwards, and the nails disappeared and let Naruto drop. Before he could right himself, the tree branches reached down, grabbed him tight, and turned him to face the main bark.

It was then Naruto saw that it was not a tree at all. What had been a plant before was now a slim yet tall yellow monster that glowed brighter than the darkening sun above.

"Th... this is!" Naruto stammered. He recognized the beast from his dream. In his shock, he did not notice Itachi's silence.

"Parallax..." the older Lantern whispered.

The golden creature flicked its long, silky wings, emitting a clicking sound that filled the world. Its tendril-like fingers and straw-thin legs betrayed a crushing strength that easily kept Naruto helpless. Its long tail danced gracefully behind it, then suddenly lashed and whipped the ground with enough power to heave rocks far and away. And on its chest, like the beating heart of an evening star, various lines twisted and circled to form a rough design of the same symbol Itachi wore on his ring and uniform. Parallax roared to the heavens, its shrill cry reverberating painfully in Naruto's ears. It then locked its penetrating gaze on Naruto with the eyes of a hungry predator. It opened its massive jaws and brought the hapless Green Lantern into its maw, where rows of circling sharp teeth dripped with amber saliva.

"Not like this." All of a sudden, Itachi conjured a long, straight nodachi, rushed at Parallax, and deftly cut its hands off. Naruto stared at his opponent, stunned, while the fear entity roared in pain. Immediately it reached forward, attempting to devour Itachi whole after such an affront, but Itachi nonchalantly performed a quick one-handed seal and yelled: "_Kai_!"

In an instant, the bleak landscape around Naruto disappeared, replaced by the shaded grounds of the forest. He fell to his knees and stared at his hands, and although they were not harmed, he still felt some pain from Itachi's illusion and from his earlier wounds. His enemy, for his part, still stood in front of him with the same emotionless demeanor that characterized him.

"You stopped the jutsu? You... saved me?" Naruto said in disbelief over his enemy's action.

"I've told you before, Naruto-kun, you are of no use dead."

"But... you... that thing, why did you bring out that monster if you couldn't control it?" Itachi did not answer. Then Naruto barely saw him squint. "Wait... you didn't?"

"No more talk. We leave now." Itachi then raised his ring once more towards Naruto.

A faint whizzing sound from his right side caught the Sinestro corpsman's attention. While still keeping his eyes and right arm locked on Naruto, he shifted his head sideways grabbed the incoming kunai with two fingers on his left hand. It only took him a quick glance to see the hidden attacker intended for him to catch it.

"An exploding ta..." Before he finished the last word, the seal-inscribed paper fastened to the knife caught fire and burst. The forest echoed with the loud boom from the resulting explosion that engulfed Itachi. Naruto covered his face protectively, but then felt a sharp tug that dragged him back and up into the forest canopy. He glanced down and saw a black shadow surrounding him.

"Got you!" Naruto landed on one of the thicker branches of a nearby tree. He looked back and saw another ninja around his age dressed in the common Chuunin uniform.

"Shikamaru!" he exclaimed. "How did..."

"You have Shino and his bugs to thank, Naruto."

"Uh, who's this Naruto?" he said, vainly trying to hide his identity.

"Please," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You might fool the villagers but not your friends. Anyway, there's no time for that." The other ninja stared back down to the smoke cloud where Itachi was in. "There's no way that attack stopped him. Tell me everything about his new abilities."

"He's like me. He can create anything he wants out of that ring, just like mine," Naruto summarized. "He can also use all of his jutsus."

"This is gonna be so troublesome," Shikamaru cursed. Just then Itachi shot up from the cloud. Despite the earlier explosion, he was unharmed thanks to his ring's force field.

"I have no time for games," he said as he dashed towards the duo.

"We have to fall back and get more support!" Naruto told Shikamaru.

"Who says I came alone?" he answered. Just as Itachi was about to reach them, the wood between them burst open, and another ninja sprung forth.

"_Konoha Shoufuu_!" Rock Lee attacked the Sinestro Corpsman with a fast rising kick. Itachi barely stopped in time and bent back to avoid it, but when his sight caught the sky he realized the other ninja intended for him to do so. From above, yet another attacker, this one rolled into massive ball, fell with surprising speed and aimed right for Itachi. Lee and Shikamaru grabbed Naruto and jumped away quickly.

"_Nikudan Sensha_!" Akimichi Choji crashed on top of Itachi, finally tearing the thick branch from the tree and sending them both down to the ground below. Itachi landed hard on his feet, but managed to hold his place as he conjured a thick shield to hold Choji back. He again heard the same whistle as before, but this time coming from all around him. Itachi, wasting no time, extended the shield all around him and let the oncoming rush of kunais, shurikens, spiked morning stars, scythes, and varied other weapon types hit, despite all of them being tagged with explosives. The weapons' strikes and subsequent explosions did nothing to his enhanced aura. Tired of being on the defensive, Itachi quickly pinpointed his latest attacker's position, covered the still-rotating Choji with a force field, and hurled him as a massive wrecking ball into the forest.

"Tenten, watch out!" Choji yelled. A female ninja dressed in white jumped out from her hiding spot just before he crashed.

"Take this!" Tenten continued to assault Itachi with weapons from her summoning scroll, but the rain of metal had no effect on the yellow construct.

"You bore me," Itachi sneered. He flew straight up towards Tenten.

"She's defenseless!" Naruto yelled at Shikamaru.

"No," Shikamaru stopped him. "We just won."

Before Naruto could protest, from behind Itachi yet another ninja, dressed in traditional hakama, sprang forth straight towards the enemy Lantern.

"_Juken-ho. Hakke Rokujuyon Sho_!" Itachi twisted around upon hearing the jutsu's name. Even an Uchiha had to exercise caution against a Hyuuga. Despite his power ring, this still held true, especially against Jonin Hyuuga Neji. Itachi began to create a construct to counter Neji, but by then the clan's prodigy was too close.

"_Hakke ni sho_!" Neji landed two quick strikes against Itachi, who grunted in pain. "_Yon sho_!" Four additional hits began to affect Itachi's flow of chakra despite the ring's aura. _"Hachi sho_!" Neji's pinpoint accuracy did not fail to find his eight targets. "_Juroku sho_!" By the sixteenth hit, Tenten was long gone, and Neji was slowly turning Itachi down towards the forest floor. "_Sanjuni sho_!" Thirty-two strikes were finally taking their toll on Itachi and the Sinestro Corps ring as the aura around him disappeared into nothingness. "_Rokujuyon sho_!" The final sixty-fourth strike sent Itachi spiraling down and crashing against the ground, leaving a small crater from the forceful impact. Neji landed gracefully right in front of him.

"_Ring status report. Sinestro 2814 deceased. Space sector 2814 scan for replacement sentient initiated_." The yellow ring dislodged itself from Itachi's finger and sped off to the heavens, leaving only a golden trail behind.

"He's... dead?" Neji asked almost incredulously.

"You got him!" Naruto yelled. Lee, Tenten and Choji stood proudly where they had landed. Shikamaru made no expression. Next to him and Naruto landed Yamanaka Ino, Sakura's long-time friend and fellow medical ninja, who immediately placed a hand on his head and the other held his wrist.

"Normal chakra flow and steady pulse," she said. "Other than these wounds you look fine. Take off those green bandages." Naruto obeyed her and dissipated the constructs around the wounds Itachi had given him earlier, which Ino immediately began to heal with her medical jutsu.

"Alright, everyone, let's take him in, but approach with caution. This is still Uchiha Itachi we're talking about, even his corpse might be dangerous" Shikamaru told everyone. Tenten, Choji and Lee approached the unconscious Akatsuki slowly but deliberately. Tenten had summoned steel chains to bind the body while Lee and Choji grabbed him. Neji stayed behind and kept his Byakugan active the whole time. He opened his eyes wide when he saw a flood of chakra flood out of the body.

"Everyone, back off!" The four jumped away from Itachi's body, which suddenly swelled and exploded into a brilliant yellow fireball.

"I knew it couldn't have been this easy," Shikamaru scowled.

"I suppose I should congratulate you all," Itachi's voice reverberated. "You managed to defeat my clone even with me enhancing it with my ring."

"Neji, find him!" Shikamaru ordered. The Hyuuga Jonin was already on it, using his Byakugan to scan the entirety of the forest.

"He's not close," Neji said. "I'll try... GLRGH!" He was halted mid-sentence when a gush of blood erupted from his mouth and neck. A thin beam of yellow energy had pierced the left side of his neck and burst from the right. Before anyone could react, the beam went taut like a rope, then twisted and coiled, tossing Neji up and towards Ino, Naruto and Shikamaru.

"NEJI!" Tenten screamed. Shikamaru glanced at Naruto with a look that asked him to catch Neji. When he saw Naruto was stunned from the sight, he took matters into his own hands.

"_Kageyose no jutsu_!" Shikamaru's shadow raced out from him, split into tendrils, and reached up to grab the wounded Jonin. The shadows softly placed him right next to the petrified Green Lantern.

"Ino!" Shikamaru said. Without hesitation, Ino stopped Naruto's treatment and placed her hands firmly on both sides of Neji's neck. Her firm palms applied direct pressure to the wounds, stopping the flow of blood, and she immediately poured her healing chakra to seal the potentially fatal punctures.

"Shikamaru!" Lee yelled. "Will he be..."

"You have no time to be worried for others." Lee turned around with a spinning back hand that was caught in a jelly-like construct, and he found himself staring right into Itachi's red and yellow eyes. "You may be fast, but not as fast as light. _Sharingan_!" An instant later Lee crumpled to the ground, enraptured in Itachi's Genjutsu. Itachi, alive, well, and still a part of the Sinestro Corps, then aimed at Tenten and halted another oncoming hail of weapons. "Is that all you can do?" With a wave of his hand, Tenten's arsenal, now covered in yellow force fields, spun around and raced towards their owner.

"_Nikudan Hari Sensha_!" Choji rolled into a large ball again, except now his long hair stood up like spikes and surrounded him. He swiftly protected Tenten and barely deflected Itachi's attack, then he rushed Itachi in another attempt to crush and impale him. Itachi tossed his arm forward and projected a massive whetstone into which Choji crashed. Choji continued his attack, attempting to break through the wall. Sparks erupted from the construct's surface as the abrasive surface held against the onslaught. Just as Sasuke's brother planned, the rock wore out Choji's hair until there was little left. Suddenly he transformed the grinding tool into a slanted pipe into which the still-rolling Akimichi plowed through and exited out another end as if shot from a cannon.

"And then there were two," he said, glancing around and attempting to find Naruto and the others. "There's not much your comrades can do against fear, Naru... Hm?" At that moment he felt a shock race through his whole body. He tried to move, but found he could not.

"_Kagemane no jutsu_, success." Though unable to twist sideways, Itachi was able to roll his eyes to his side. Shikamaru was kneeling a few feet away from him, and his shadow had stretched to link the two of them.

"Impressive," Itachi said. "But not nearly enough."

"You won't think that soon," Shikamaru said. He moved his hands and simulated the motion of taking off a ring, which Itachi was forced to mimic thanks to the jutsu.

"You miscalculated, Nara. I do not need to move to be able to think." Before his fingers touched the Sinestro ring, a thick, wide beam shot from its surface and slammed into Shikamaru's chest. The solid light pinned Shikamaru to a tree, then wrapped around him and tied him. "Now tell me where Naruto is hiding."

"No deal." Shikamaru grunted when Itachi tightened the bonds.

"I could find him myself, you know. But if you told me, it would be less... troublesome," he added with emphasis.

"I'm not trash that sells out his friends like that," Shikamaru said. "I'm not a traitor like you!" Itachi made no reply. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his fist, and the construct responded in kind. Shikamaru screamed as two of his ribs cracked.

Not far off, Naruto heard the team leader's pained yell. "He's... he's unstoppable..."

"Pull yourself together, Naruto!" Ino scolded him. "You have a power ring too. You can stop him!"

"I can't," Naruto shook his head. "I tried... I can't... my ring can't affect yellow."

"Why? It's just a color!"

"Wh... where...?"

"Neji?!" Ino and Naruto glanced down towards their older teammate. The two holes were healed, but his voice was rasped and his robes were stained red from the large amount of blood he had lost.

"Where's... Naruto?" he strained to ask.

"I'm here," the blond ninja answered.

"No..."

"Neji, don't try to talk, you're still..." Ino ordered, but Neji ignored her and continued.

"You're not... Naruto..."

"Huh?"

"You're... just... a coward..." He grunted as he tried to get up but couldn't, so Ino helped him despite her reluctance. "Where is the Naruto that we accompanied... in chasing down Uchiha Sasuke years ago? Where is the Naruto that defeated that Akatsuki? Where is the Naruto that defeated me? The real Naruto... would not have given up. No matter what... he would fight on." He then placed his hand on top of the green ring. "You are the only one... who can stop Itachi."

"I can't!" Naruto said. "I... I'm afraid! And a Green Lantern can't be afraid!"

"You're wrong..." Neji countered. "We all heard the ring say it. It's not about not having fear."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple, Naruto," Ino said. "Fear exists to be conquered." She then pointed to Shikamaru and the others. "Look at them. Take a good hard look."

Itachi continued his assault on Shikamaru, but still he resisted the pain. "I will ask you one last time."

"Then get it over with, then," Shikamaru said, "because I'm not saying anything to you."

"Very well." Itachi pointed his ring straight at Shikamaru's forehead.

"_Omote Renge_!" Lee dashed from behind Itachi and kicked him on the chest. The force field absorbed most of the blow, but the impact still sent the Akatsuki soaring. Lee, still somewhat groggy from the effects of the Genjutsu, nonetheless jumped high and came up behind Itachi and wrapped him in his bandages. Itachi countered by expanding his force field, which ripped apart Lee's wrappings, and then constructing his own yellow bandages around the Taijutsu specialist. Itachi spun the coiled Lee and tossed him down against the ground.

"_Kai_!" Tenten yelled. Itachi looked at his force field and found it was covered in exploding tags, which promptly exploded. As before, however, the yellow aura protected him.

"Don't you ever learn?" he taunted her.

"Actually, I do," Tenten smirked. Two massive fists crushed Itachi right between them. "You see, I was just the distraction. Choji was the punchline."

"Yo!" Choji yelled. He had used his _Baika_ jutsu to grow taller than the forest canopy and overwhelm Itachi. His smile quickly faded when two gigantic golden prongs emerged from between his hands, grabbed them, and pulled them apart.

"This is the end," he said. The two prongs merged and grew larger and larger, until they were the same size as Choji. The massive construct then took the shape of Parallax, who bellowed a mighty roar that shook the whole of the Forest of Death. "Let the last thing you see be the living embodiment of the fear that festers in your hearts." The copy Parallax then growled and charged at Choji.

"NO!"

All of a sudden a massive green construct rose from the forest and rammed the monstrous Parallax head on. The green beast, a cross between a shark and a while, bit hard on Parallax's neck. It then spun top-down and used its massive tail fin to cleave the yellow construct in two. For the first time, Itachi was surprised at the sight of his apparition dissolving.

"Ion? That's not..."

"Believe it, Itachi!" The Sinestro turned to find Naruto floating right in front of him. His ring and aura were glowing their brightest.

"Naruto-kun. Are you finally ready?" He then reared back and tossed a yellow spike towards Naruto. The Green Lantern stood his ground and threw a windmill shuriken construct right into the oncoming projectile. This time, Naruto's construct cut through Itachi's with ease and would have hit the latter if he had not dodged it.

"You're not gonna take me that easy anymore," Naruto told his enemy. "I said I was going to beat you Itachi, and no matter how I feel, I won't go back on my word! That is, and always will be, my ninja way!" The Ion construct then slammed Itachi with the back of its tail, sending him reeling and with Naruto in close pursuit.

"You are still afraid, Naruto-kun. Fear is eternal. You, and all of existence, will never be without fear!" Itachi threw a swift kunai construct that caught Naruto dead in the chest. For the second time in a short while, he was surprised when Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. Soon dozens of Narutos surrounded him, and they in turn were enveloped by the Ion copy, which then dissolved into a solid shield that covered all the shadow clones and Itachi. The Akatsuki threw his ring towards the nearest clone, but a mass of tendrils shot out from the shield itself and enveloped his hand. Similar wraps grabbed his other hand and legs, and then they stretched him as far as possible. Outside the shield, the real Naruto faced Itachi directly.

"You're right that fear will always be there. But I've finally realized exactly why the power ring chose me. A Green Lantern is not about being fearless. A Green Lantern overcomes fear!" He then made the ball spin rapidly in all directions. For once, Itachi could do nothing. The wild rotation kept him from concentrating properly to properly use his ring, and the shield's holds prevented him from executing a jutsu. He could only watch silently as the clones, which were floating in the air and thus partially immune from the spin, paired up and began forming their own turning spheres in their hands. The sound of swirling chakra filled the interior of the shield. "I will overcome my fears, Itachi! Just as I will overcome you!" The clones completed their jutsu and eyed Itachi intently. The real Naruto poured his willpower into the ring and his clones, then yelled: "Take this! _Midori Rasengan_!" The clones obeyed instantly and charged as one towards Itachi, who could only watch and try to fortify his aura as the attacks struck.

The great sphere held for a few seconds, then burst open when it could no longer contain the force of multiple _Rasengans_. The wind danced wildly and violently, striking and dissolving the multitude of shadow clones, and the real Naruto found it hard to stay in place. Itachi was tossed from the remains of the attack, and he fell from the sky and back down to the forest. Naruto followed him in close pursuit. Itachi was barely able to land on his knees. Lee, Tenten, Shikamaru and Choji surrounded him, and Naruto landed soon after.

"_Warning. Power levels 3%_."

"It's alright now, ring," Naruto said. "We got him." He approached Itachi cautiously and kept his ring aimed at him. He was not so surprised to see him smiling, but the type of smile did. For a moment, Itachi seemed content.

"Nicely done, Naruto-kun... no, Green Lantern of Sector 2814," he said. "Ring, power check."

"_Power levels 27%_," the yellow ring answered. All the Konoha ninjas stiffened and readied themselves upon hearing this.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. Maybe next time," he said. To everyone's surprise, Itachi then shot straight up to the heavens.

"You're not getting away!" Naruto said and followed suit. He tailed Itachi through the yellow stream he was leaving north. Below him, the forest became a green blur due to how fast they were traveling.

"_Warning. Power levels 1.7%_."

"Faster!" he said. He could barely begin to see Itachi.

"_Warning. Power levels approaching 0.0%. Immediate recharge required_."

"Just a little more!" Itachi was so close now.

"_Warning. Power levels 0%. Emergency backup online. Override initiated_."

"NO!" The ring forced Naruto down to a rather awkward but safe landing on the outskirts of Konoha. The Green Lantern uniform dissolved around him, leaving Naruto with his old ninja clothing. "Dammit!" he cursed, clenching his fist hard. He gazed up at the yellow trail Itachi had left as he sped away. For a moment he feared what would happen if he attacked again now that his power ring was out. But he moved the fear aside. "I'll find a way. There has to be. Next time, I'll be ready. We'll all be ready!"

******************

Soon after, Itachi sat on a rock just inside the cave he was using as a hideout since his defection from Akatsuki. No doubt the others would soon come looking for him, and he had to be ready for when the time came.

"Ring, power check."

"_Power levels 20%_."

His attack on Naruto was an excellent source of training and information on how to utilize these new abilities to their fullest. It had also answered some questions he had after the previous night's dream. His ring had given him the names of two of the creatures he had seen and had provided invaluable data on the Green Lantern ring's weakness, but refused to elaborate on any other details. His more pressing concern at the moment was the diminishing power of his ring. He would have to find a way to replenish it despite the lack of what the ring called a power battery. He already had a few ideas in mind, and once he rested for a little time he would begin testing them out.

A sudden hiss of static echoed in the small cave. He immediately activated his Sharingan and aimed the ring, thinking it was an illusion from an Akatsuki using Pain's communication technique.

"_Fzzsh... rrius... fzzsh... pond. Ta..._"

It was then Itachi noticed the sound was coming from his ring. He brought it close to his face and found the ring was creating a faint image of a human head.

"_Fzzsh_... _contact, Tarrius. You have not been in contact with Korugar or Qward in two cycles. Tarrius, respond immediately_."

Itachi eyed the face with curiosity. Another member of the Sinestro Corps, perhaps? This was an opportunity to learn more about them, so he saw no need to keep quiet. "I'm afraid I don't know who this Tarrius is you speak of. If I understand the process of selecting new power ring wielders correctly, though, then he is most likely dead."

"_Who is this? State your name and sector immediately_," the face asked. The distorted head was slowly coming into focus, revealing a face that looked very close to a human, but somehow a little different.

"It is usually polite to introduce oneself first."

The head's features turned sour. "_Insubordination may be severely punished in my corps._"

"Your corps?" Itachi asked. The answer came to him immediately. "Ah, I see. Very well. I am Uchiha Itachi, and based on my ring's information, this is Space Sector 2814."

Now the other person raised an eyebrow. "_A human_?" it asked. Itachi could hear the curiosity in his voice."_How ironic... another defiant Earthman under my command again..._"

"May I presume, then, that you are the corps' namesake?"

The face finally came to full focus. This was a middle-aged man with short hair and receding hairlines and a long, pointed mustache. What Itachi found most impressive was the man's eyes. They bled fear. "_Indeed, pinkskin. I am Sinestro, founder and leader of the Sinestro Corps. And if I interpret your ring's telemetry properly, it seems there is much we need to discuss._"

* * *

Author's blurb: Most impressive. He actually pulled it off.

But now Naruto is out of power. How can that be? This is only the beginning, and yet how's he going to recharge without a battery?

And Sinestro... to quote Shikamaru, this is going to be so troublesome...


	7. Those who Worship Evil's Might

Chapter 6: Those who Worship Evil's Might

The calm returned to the broken chamber that used to be Orochimaru's secondary hideout. The bodies of his prisoners and test subjects lay strewn throughout the moon-lit room, victims of the creature's surprise attack. It, in turn, now lay flat on the floor, struggling helplessly under the grip of his protégé. Orochimaru stared hungrily at his choice for student and future host. Sasuke was hunched over and his Curse Seal level-2 wings folded, his every muscle tensed to its tightest. His own blood dripped from his mouth and burned the hapless enemy in his grip.

"Come, Sasuke-kun. Let me bask in this magnificent power," Orochimaru said. His student turned his head around and growled with teeth bared and tightly clenched. His eyes and mouth bled continuously, but none of it touched his new equally crimson suit or the ruby-colored ring that had forced itself onto his right middle finger moments before.

"_Sasuke. Rage_."

*********Two Days Ago*********

Uchiha Sasuke sat in silent meditation at the bottom of a cascading waterfall. The rock he was on was barely visible from the thick foam and fog the blue liquid created as it crashed into the lake that hid Orochimaru's new hideout. His breath was slow and quiet, contrasting with the roar of the waterfall around him. His muscles remained relaxed despite the bitterly cold and deceptively heavy water that fell on his half-naked body.

A single pebble broke from a withered stone at the top of the cascade. Pulled by gravity, it fell towards the bottom, and towards Sasuke. The latter did not move. The pebble neared.

Sasuke deftly unsheathed his katana and sliced directly upwards. The sharp blade cleanly cut the tiny rock in half, and the two shards missed Sasuke and fell just to his sides on the bottom rock. From the tip of the sword a glowing bolt of lightning rose up the falling water, drowning out the roar of the waterfall and replacing it with a birdlike crackle. It climbed up straight and with little splintering, and at the top it sliced through the boulder the pebble had broken off from. The force of the strike split the rock, which blossomed out and stopped any more water from falling down the center. Sasuke stopped his chakra flow, sheathed his blade and stood up. To his sides, what was once a single cascade was now two smaller waterfalls that could not reach him anymore.

"Magnificent," marveled Orochimaru. He studied his prized pupil with salivating glee. During the past years he had taught Sasuke well, but the boy's natural talent was so outstanding there was little more the Sannin could teach him. Soon he would be ready to perform the body transfer jutsu once again, and Sasuke was more than ripe to become Orochimaru's new host. "Sasuke-kun… soon you will be mine."

A waft of air waved Orochimaru's long hair. Without averting his gaze from Sasuke, Orochimaru said: "Kabuto, you have something to inform?"

From behind the Konoha defector, another ninja dressed in simpler robes and wearing a set of round glasses approached slowly. "Orochimaru-sama, our spies have returned from Konohagakure with information about this new protector of theirs."

Kabuto's message was something Orochimaru had been waiting for since the first news of the Metal Country's destruction. He turned and focused his attention on his loyal supporter. He did not bother to tell Sasuke to join them, since he knew the Uchiha would hear every word even if he was not interested in the least. "Continue."

"It appears the initial reports were correct," Kabuto began. "A Leaf ninja has acquired a potent weapon that allows him to conjure any solid object he imagines out of light, as well as fly without restriction. He calls himself the Green Lantern. And he is not alone."

"Oh?"

"Our spies indicate that a second Lantern battled the Green Lantern in the Forest of Death. This one's attacks were colored yellow instead of green, and he appeared to be much more vicious."

"Have they uncovered the identity of these Lanterns?"

Kabuto shook his head in negation. "Not of the Yellow Lantern, Orochimaru-sama. However, we have positively identified the Green Lantern. And you won't believe who it is." At this, Kabuto gazed past his master and towards Sasuke. Orochimaru followed his sight and immediately deduced the Green Lantern's identity.

"The Kyuubi brat?"

"That is correct, my lord. Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke's interest in the conversation piqued slightly upon hearing his former teammate's name. Although he did not move from his spot, he turned his head just enough to glance at the duo.

"The ability to create anything he wishes out of light… not an ability the Kyuubi should grant," Orochimaru mused.

"Our spies indicate that it was not related to the Kyuubi," Kabuto confirmed. "The green energy he now wields seems to be concentrated on an emerald ring."

"Fascinating," Orochimaru said. "I would like to see this power for myself."

"That may be difficult, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto replied. "It appears Naruto-kun's new powers were exhausted in repelling his opponent."

"Then let us center our efforts on this other Lantern," Orochimaru declared. "Sasuke-kun?" The Uchiha fully turned now to face his teacher directly. "I have a mission for you…"

*********One Day Ago*********

Sasuke wordlessly soared his way through the vast forests that constituted the northern Land of Fire. Orochimaru's request was simple: infiltrate the Land of Fire and gather direct information about Naruto's Lantern enemy. Sasuke wordlessly left the instant his new teacher finished the order. For the moment, he played along with Orochimaru's commands despite his weakening condition under the pretense of killing Itachi together. Once Sasuke got everything he needed from him, however…

The path to Konoha placed him in range of a former hideout of the Uchiha clan. Located in a dwindling, corrupt city, the secret safe-house was still occupied by a former ally of the clan. To Sasuke's benefit, the woman still had a good reputation for gathering credible rumors and intelligence. Aside from the opportunity to gather supplies, Sasuke expected she might have information relevant to Konoha's enemy Lantern.

What he did not expect was to arrive at an empty, broken and crumbling ghost town instead of a downtrodden metropolis.

"Yo! If it isn't Sasuke!" A talking ninja cat greeted the black-haired Uchiha at the entrance to the safe-house. Hidden among the sewer system, the hideout was apparently spared the wrath of whatever happened to the rest of the city.

"Denka... Where is the Granny Cat?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly.

"She's back at the storehouse cleaning up," the cat answered. "The place held up alright but whatever happened made a heck of a mess. I'd like to get my paws on whoever raised hell up there, they crushed my favorite bowl!"

"Take me to her," Sasuke said.

"Heh, you didn't forget the goodies, did ya?" Denka smirked. Sasuke dug into his robes and pulled out a small bottle. "Nice! We could use the catnip after that scare." With that the cat turned around and walked into the corridors. "Stay close."

Sasuke followed Denka into the interiors of the hideout. The sewers of the city made a dizzying maze that no uninvited guest had ever managed to navigate successfully. Even with the cat's guidance, it took them longer than Sasuke had anticipated to go through the myriad passages, many of which had nearly collapsed. Eventually Denka and Sasuke finally reached the main chamber of the Uchiha safe house.

Sasuke had only been inside once before, but what he remembered contrasted with its current state. The rugs and curtains were dirty and torn, all the various pots had fallen from their shelves and now lay broken on the ground, and various supplies lay strewn around after falling out of shattered crates. In the back, an old lady with long hair, oversized kimono, a stuffy nose, and small cat ears picked up a small pipe from under a group of gathered cats.

"I didn't expect you just yet," she said to Sasuke.

"Nor did I, Granny Cat," he replied. "I needed information, but it seems my timing may not be the best."

"Nonsense," the crone said, "your timing is perfect. Help me clean up this mess and you can take whatever you need free of charge." Sasuke wordlessly stepped forward and began collecting items from the ground.

The two worked silently in cleaning the main room, while the ninja cats took care of the surrounding corridors. All the while, Sasuke analyzed the destruction of the city. Despite the damage, there were no corpses, neither enemy nor civilian. The city was decaying and in the process of abandonment to begin with so the lack of friendly casualties was not surprising. This would also explain the lack of attacker remains, since little to no resistance would be given to any attack.

When coming into the city, however, Sasuke did not see any tracks or detect any evidence of a massive invading army. The attacking force must have been small.

"It was a singular assault," the Granny Cat said, as if reading Sasuke's mind.

"I thought as much," Sasuke agreed. "A small platoon would have no chance of inflicting the kind of structural damage I saw outside," he said, referring to the damaged buildings outside. "Was it an Akatsuki?"

Nekobaa did not answer. She dusted off a fortune cat figure that had luckily, true to its nature, avoided a broken fate. "I guess Ceiling Cat still likes me after all," she said while she placed the statue on top of a crate.

"You haven't answered my question," Sasuke prodded.

"I don't need to," she retorted. "You already suspect the answer yourself," she said as she turned to pick up scattered ninja supplies from the ground.

Sasuke held back any response out of respect for the old lady who had helped his clan so much in the past. After all, she was right. An Akatsuki would have left civilian corpses behind.

"I suppose I'm in luck as well," he said. "Tell me this, then. Was it a flying enemy dressed in yellow and attacking with light?"

Nekobaa stopped mid-lift in picking up a scroll. Sasuke had his answer.

"So your snake of a teacher has you chasing after this villain, is he? As it happens, you just missed him," she said while she hung the scroll back on the wall. "But I would not chase after him if I were you. You might as well be just a kitten against him."

"Tell me about him."

The elderly woman stopped her cleaning duties altogether and sat down on her tatami. She lit her pipe, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a faint smoke cloud. The sweet aroma attracted other cats to her. "The villagers thought the clouds had finally parted. It was as if for the first time in years, the sun's golden light was piercing the drape of smog they had brought upon themselves. The people ran out to the streets, cheering and clapping, filled with a hope they had not felt for a long time. Even I was fooled for a second."

Sasuke sat in front of her just outside of the mat. "But my cats knew better. Denka and Hina sensed the oncoming storm first. My granddaughter, Tamaki, felt it too. Then we all saw how the light descended from the sky, split into uncountable beams, and sniped half of the city towers. The villagers' hope burned away to panic when what they thought was the sun broke apart, revealing a man dressed in a yellow and black uniform."

"So the reports of light manipulation abilities were true," Sasuke thought out loud. "Tell me more about his attack."

Nekobaa paused to smoke a little more, then continued: "I'd never seen anything like it before. This enemy... he wielded the yellow light as his weapon, and the light did his bidding without question. Whatever he conjured with that gold light of his, the townspeople feared it and ran from it. Wherever his light shone, the buildings exploded and collapsed."

"Was he wearing a yellow ring, by any chance?" Sasuke asked her.

"As a matter of fact, he was. Some wandering ninjas noticed this first and focused their jutsus on it. But this invader... he either blocked them with the light or dispelled them effortlessly."

"Another ninja, perhaps?"

"That would be my conclusion as well," Nekobaa agreed.

"So why didn't he kill anyone?" Sasuke wondered out loud.

"If I knew any better, he seemed to be holding back," Nekobaa answered. "Just as the attack started, he said: 'Show me your greatest fears'. And he succeeded. As the attack drew on, the villagers feared him more and more, and this only made him more determined, and his light more focused and bright."

"As if the people's fear empowered him," Sasuke deduced. "That would explain why he refrained from killing anyone."

"Perhaps," she said. "But I do not believe it was simply that. Killing a few people would have accomplished instilling more fear, yet he stayed his hand."

"Did he instill fear in you?" Sasuke asked. The Granny Cat hesitated and smoked a bit more.

"I've had a full life," she answered. "If it was my time to die, I was ready for it."

"But you were still afraid," Sasuke pressed. "To scare someone is one thing, but to truly frighten..." He narrowed his gaze and eyed Nekobaa directly. "You know who he is, don't you?"

Nekobaa returned Sasuke's glare while her cats scattered. "You should return to your master," she said, sneering the last word specifically. "Armed with the yellow ring, this shinobi's strength surpasses yours and Orochimaru's combined."

"I know of another ninja with a similar ring," he retorted. "So it becomes evident there may be more of these Lantern rings that could be used against him."

"Then let this other ninja face this so-called Yellow Lantern. From what little I could tell, the power of the ring stems from something as primal as chakra itself, but amplified to levels that may rival even the tailed beasts. Even one such as you would be incapable of standing up to him."

Sasuke and the old lady stared at each other silently for a long while. The smoke in her pipe died off, and Nekobaa's cats approached her again hesitantly.

"Tell me who he is," Sasuke said, breaking the silence.

"It would make no difference," she answered.

"I will be the judge of that. Tell me. Now."

"You cannot defeat him."

"Grandma! I'm back!" a third voice interrupted the conversation. Nekobaa tilted her head sideways to watch Tamaki, her young brown-haired granddaughter, walk in with numerous supply boxes. Sasuke did not move. She turned to the side room and began stacking the boxes on the ground. "I brought back the supplies you wanted. It was a bit tough, I mean, all the townspeople looted most and then ditched after that yellow super-Itachi attacked, but I managed to... oh, we have a guest!" she said when she finally glanced back and noticed Sasuke sitting with her grandmother.

"Aiyaa..." Nekobaa lamented with a facepalm. Sasuke sat perfectly still, seemingly unaffected by Tamaki's news.

"Hi there! Can I get you any-" Tamaki stopped and shivered. Sasuke had turned his head and stared at her with his _Sharingan_ fully activated and a very grim face. Tamaki took several steps back and tripped on the boxes she had just laid down. Sasuke stood up, still eyeing the young girl.

"Sasuke!" Nekobaa called him out. The black-haired Uchiha turned towards her. Despite his threatening _Sharingan_ glare, the Granny Cat unflinchingly met his gaze, though she remained sitting down. All the cats in the room backed up, but raised their tails high and hissed at the boy who dared threaten their elder. Sasuke was unfazed by their display. He had what he came for. There was no further use for the hideout any longer.

Without saying a word, he turned and left, leaving the elderly woman, her frightened granddaughter, and their numerous pets behind to their solitude in the now dead city.

*********One Hour Ago*********

Sasuke walked back towards Orochimaru's hideout. It had taken him longer to return, and the darkness of night had long replaced the light of the sun. He was in no hurry. Orochimaru and his plans no longer mattered.

Itachi.

It was always about Itachi.

Everything he had done after the destruction of the Uchiha clan, he had done for the sole reason of killing his brother. Itachi may have spared him, but he had killed any hope or compassion he had left on that fateful night. For a time, Sasuke thought he had also killed his love. The short time he spent on Team 7 showed him that there was still room for camaraderie, perhaps even friendship, in his heart.

And that made him weak.

The first time his brother came looking for Naruto, Sasuke thought that at last he had the means to kill him. Yet Itachi effortlessly took him out and showed him there was no room for friendship or love either in his heart. So Sasuke decided to kill that too. He severed his bonds with Team 7 and all of Konoha and joined Orochimaru to continue his training. There would be no more love, no more compassion, and no more hope. He only let his hatred for Itachi live. His hate allowed him to achieve his potential as an Uchiha, and gave him the power to surpass his newest teacher in just two years. He was reaching Itachi.

But if what the Granny Cat and her granddaughter had said was true, now Itachi was beyond any ninja's grasp. The same fear that his brother had instilled in him the last time they met was the same fear he had instilled in the whole city. And if he was right, it was that same fear he instilled that had guided the yellow weapon to him. A weapon that relied on the user's imagination, cunning, and frightfulness, qualities that Itachi mastered.

"Itachi..." Sasuke whispered. He stopped in the middle of a clearing a few miles from the lair's entrance. "Is my hatred not enough? Has all this been for nothing?" He spied a far off rock in the distance about twice his size. A second later he had impaled it with an electrically-charged _Chidori_, and the resulting cracking shattered it into pebbles. "Dammit!"

Once again, Itachi was out of his reach. As he was now, he could not stop him. Yet the most damning part was that the only other ninja that could stand up to his brother was the one that embodied everything Sasuke had discarded.

"Naruto..." he said. He could see his former blond-haired companion smiling; the same smile that others saw as coming from a joke of a shinobi. To Sasuke, it might as well be mocking him. His asinine talk of bonds, friendship, hard work and perseverance, which Sasuke had cast off, had no doubt played a part in Naruto being chosen by the green ring.

"I have nothing left," Sasuke said. His hate was no longer enough. His hate could not go against Itachi's empowered fear; only Naruto's empowered will could. The qualities that could kill his brother now, he had killed within him long ago. All the power he had acquired was now worthless. All he had left was his festering rage. "I hate you..." he said. He punched the ground. "Itachi... Naruto... I hate you," he repeated, punching the ground again and again until his knuckles bled. "I hate you! Itachi! Naruto! Orochimaru! Konoha! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU ALL!"

"_...Sasuke..._"

His thoughts stopped and his training instantly took over. Sasuke unsheathed his sword and spun full circle. His blade hit nothing, and his senses could not detect the source of the voice. He stood up straight with his weapon still out and silently waited patiently for anything.

"_Uchiha Sasuke_..."

"_Sharingan_!" Sasuke said, and instantly the advanced power of the Uchiha manifested itself in his eyes. Though it seemed to come from everywhere, Sasuke carefully deduced the voice was coming from above. Only the starry night sky greeted him, save for a faint red shooting star that streaked past. He cast his gaze far to the horizon, but the nearest trees were too far away for an attacker to sound so loud.

"_Uchiha Sa_..." The voice stopped in mid-sentence. Sasuke glanced up again and saw a faint red light appear from the east, head west, then immediately zip back east and out of sight.

"I am not afraid of you or your new tricks, Itachi. Show yourself!" he yelled out. Only silence greeted him. Sasuke scanned his premises carefully over the next few minutes, but once more nothing out of the ordinary caught his attention. The light did not appear again. After weighing his options carefully, Sasuke finally closed his eyes and sheathed his katana.

"Uchiha Sasuke of Sector 2814," a voice called out from just behind him.

Sasuke immediately turned and saw a streaking light come out of the far-off forest path and race towards him. It was too fast for him to have a chance to ready himself. As whatever the light contained approached him, all he could register was its color.

It was not red. Nor yellow or green for that matter.

It was orange.

"YOU'RE MINE!"

The light struck Sasuke head on and sent him sprawling to the ground. Sasuke tried to get up, but the light itself had pinned him down. In mid-struggle, Sasuke had his first opportunity to study his attacker. The dense orange light held within it a grotesque humanoid being with a wicked smile and crazed eyes that glowed with a strange symbol. It looked more like a summoned beast instead of a person, with its pointed beak, rotten plumage, and arms with long wings growing from their undersides. The bird-like being was dressed in an apricot-tinted jumpsuit with orange shoulders and the same symbol on its center; a single circle with four diagonal lines entering it and a downward pointing arrowhead at the top. From the corner of his eye Sasuke saw the creature had an orange ring with the same symbol on its head.

"A Lantern!" he guessed.

"Oooh, he's a smart one!" the creature cackled. "Looks tasty too!"

"Get off," Sasuke said more calmly. "_Chidori Nagashi_!" His chakra electrified and poured out of every inch of his body, and then transferred to the whole of the Orange Lantern.

"Yiyiyiyiyiyiyi!" the creature yelped, loosening its grip on Sasuke, who promptly somersaulted back and grabbed his katana. Now with a chance to more carefully scan his enemy, the Uchiha activated his _Sharingan_ and studied every aspect of the Lantern. This trembling, ghostly being resembled some sort of grotesque cross between a person and a seagull. Clawed hands, webbed feet, and a sharpened, serrated beak distinguished it from any normal bird Sasuke had ever seen. His bloodline limit revealed that the Lantern's form was somehow phasing in and out of sight, almost as if it didn't exist. The only part that looked completely solid was the orange ring.

Sasuke decided to test a theory. He aimed at the Orange Lantern with his hand and a sword-shaped bolt of lightning shot out and pierced the creature. As he expected, it phased right through him. Unexpectedly, this time the electricity did not have any effect.

"That tickled!" the bird sneered. "Now where's the red? I want it!" The creature lunged again towards Sasuke, who this time easily sidestepped the attack.

"What red?"

"Eh? You don't have it?" the creature asked. "But I saw it! It's here! That bawling hissy fit of yours should've done the trick! Gimme!" This time, the creature pointed its ring at Sasuke, and another blazingly fast beam of light shot out towards him. Sasuke barely caught its trajectory with his _Sharingan_ and almost avoided the laser. Ignoring the resulting graze on his shoulder, which had been cauterized by the attack itself, Sasuke countered by slashing at the orange ring itself. His sword hit true, and a shower of orange and blue sparks erupted from the ring and his electrified katana. Sasuke dashed past the Orange Lantern from his momentum and glanced back towards his opponent, expecting it to either drop dead or disappear.

He heard a metallic snap, and saw that his own katana had broken into two pieces.

"What?"

"YOU SCRATCHED IT!" the monster screeched as it cradled its ring. "IT WAS A COLLECTOR'S ITEM, YOU MEATBAG!" The Orange Lantern immediately turned and shot another beam at Sasuke, who again dodged the attack and impaled it with a _Chidori_. Sasuke phased through the seagull and landed behind it, while the enemy harmlessly absorbed the ninja's attack. "But you're an item yourself, aren't you?" it said to Sasuke hungrily. "Using Corps powers without being Corps... you're special. And special's worth a lot! Gelin calls dibs! MINE!" By the time Sasuke blinked, the Lantern was upon him.

*********Twenty Minutes Ago*********

"Well?" Orochimaru asked from his seat. He and Kabuto were locked in the medical ward of his current hideout, which although smaller still had the bare amenities required to sustain him and his operation.

Kabuto carefully examined the blood sample from his master on his microscope. He turned the primary knob clockwise, then counter-clockwise and clockwise again. "It's just as I suspected, Orochimaru-sama," the medic-nin answered. "Your body is beginning to decay at an accelerated rate. I fear you have no more than three weeks before you are forced to make the body transfer.""

"Cheh," Orochimaru scoffed. "It's sooner than I expected."

"I may be able to delay it by approximately one week, maybe two," Kabuto continued while taking a syringe and filling it with a vile neon yellow liquid, "but that is all I can do."

"It will be enough," his master said. "I have already taught Sasuke all that is necessary for him to be ready. One final test, then he will be ripe for the taking," he finished as Kabuto pricked his arm with the needle and injected the medicine.

"If I may ask, Orochimaru-sama, is Sasuke-kun's body ready? Not just for the transfer technique, but to defeat Itachi?"

"His body has been ready for a long time, Kabuto," Orochimaru answered while he stood up and walked towards the door. Kabuto quickly took off his rubber gloves and followed him out to the corridors. "So too has his mind. His singular, powerful hatred towards Itachi made it easy to mold him into the weapon I need. All he needed was training, which I eagerly provided to him."

"That is precisely my concern," Kabuto said. "You know I do not trust him fully. I expect once he finds out you have little time left, he will attempt to kill you."

"I am aware of your opinion, and of Sasuke-kun's likely treachery. But he is still my best and favorite weapon. That is, until he brings more information about the Yellow Lantern." The duo reached the main chamber of the hideout, a large circular chamber with a hollow pit and rounded by multiple levels of tiny prison cells. "A simple ring capable of granting life to one's imagination… such a weapon was undreamed of even by the greatest Kages. My dream of mastering all jutsus will never be complete unless I gain this power as well."

"Such a power almost defies belief," Kabuto said. "The jutsu or technology necessary to create these rings sounds otherworldly."

"Who knows? It might be. But it matters little. All I care about is the ring. Sasuke shall be first. I have waited long enough. Once he is mine, together we shall claim one of these rings. I will not rest until it is mine."

Orochimaru caught a faint chakra trail from above, a rudimentary early warning system that someone was approaching. He and Kabuto recognized Sasuke's chakra easily.

"That was rather fast," Kabuto commented.

"Even better," Orochimaru grinned. He licked his lips with his large, serpentine tongue. "Before this night is over, Sasuke-kun, you will at last be mine."

The chakra trail intensified, and so did a sudden chirping of birds. The ceiling suddenly blasted apart as blue and white light filled the chamber. Sasuke, already in his Curse Seal level two form, fell through the resulting hole, followed closely by a brilliant orange light. The two landed in the middle of the pit to the astonished sight of Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the terrified prisoners inside the cells.

"Hee hee hee! MORTAL COMBAT!" the orange creature yelled.

"Th… that is!" Kabuto stammered.

"Uchiha Sasuke! You will join the Orange Lantern Corps!" Gelin yelled out as it shot a dozen beams of orange light at Sasuke.

"A Lantern," Orochimaru said excitedly. Just as Sasuke dodged Gelin's onslaught and before Kabuto could protest, the older ninja jumped into the arena. He extended his arm out and half a dozen pythons emerged from his sleeves, rushed towards the ghostly seagull, and constricted around it.

"It won't work," Sasuke told him as he glided closer to the fight. "It can make itself tangible or intangible at will."

"You look just like his..." Gelin marveled at the snakes wrapped around it. "So it came from this world after all, billions of years ago... I want my own orange snakes! GIMME!" With that, the seagull bent down and bit hard on the coiled serpents. Its serrated beak easily sliced through the various reptiles' bodies and chopped them all to pieces. The Orange Lantern then proceeded to devour each sliced, dead snake in single gulps.

The orange aura around the ghost intensified and its ring shone brighter.

"What the..." Sasuke wondered.

"_Consumption complete. Identity stolen. Replicating_." The stoic, raspy voice that filled the chamber was different from Gelin's.

"Its ring... it can think for itself?" Kabuto thought out loud. But any further speculation died when the ring sparked to life.

"_You belong to Agent Orange_."

"And you will all belong to ME!" The same snakes the Orange Lantern had devoured now erupted from the ring as fiery, phantasmal constructs and raced towards their former masters. Sasuke ducked and struck one of the snakes with a _Chidori_, again with little effect as his hand phased through the ghostly snake's body. Orochimaru fared worse, as the majority of the snakes rushed him and despite his agility they bit hard on his ankles and wrists.

"Fascinating," he said, ignoring the pain. The light pain turned unbearable as the constructs suddenly pulled and ripped the Sannin's limbs from their sockets. Blood and ichor gushed out from the open wounds while Orochimaru fell hard on the solid ground, but still he held his composure. His mouth stretched open hideously, and out from his throat emerged another fully-healed Orochimaru that leapt out towards Gelin. The orange snakes disappeared and the Sannin's broken limbs plopped to the ground next to his discarded skin, just as the new Orochimaru regurgitated the Kusanagi sword and swung at Gelin. The blade passed right through the Lantern.

"Aim at the ring!" Sasuke yelled out. He quickly undid the bandages on his wrists and used the summoning tattoos on them to shower Gelin with a rain of shuriken and kunai. At first the Lantern did nothing, but when it noticed most of the weapons struck his ring, it turned sideways and conjured a shield to block the rest of the weapons. Orochimaru took the opportunity and sliced at the orange ring. Once again, a shower of blue and orange sparks erupted from the contact point.

"This is impossible..." Orochimaru said when he saw the ring was not even scratched, yet the Kusanagi had been chipped by the strike.

"YOU TOO!" Gelin fumed. "LEAVE MY PRECIOUS ALONE!" Gelin quickly created a massive ax and deftly sliced off Orochimaru's right arm. The maimed ninja reacted by rushing at Gelin, and from behind the Orange Lantern another Orochimaru emerged from the ground.

"_Tsuchi Bunshin no jutsu_!" At the grounded Orochimaru's command, the maimed copy dissolved into mud and enveloped Gelin completely. The real Orochimaru then jumped up out of the floor, made several other hand seals, then yelled: "_Futon, Daitoppa_!" The snakelike human blew out a massive gust of wind that disintegrated the mud covering Gelin, and for an instant managed to move the Orange Lantern. The creature stopped in midair and turned, no longer affected by the attack. Orochimaru performed one more seal, and the wind blast instantly erupted into a blazing fireball that enveloped the Lantern.

"_Katon, Goryuka no jutsu_!" Sasuke in turn unleashed a massive fireball that took the shape of a dragon's head. The attack merged with Orochimaru's flame, creating a blazing inferno with Gelin at its center. Seconds passed and the Orange Lantern did not emerge from the attack. But slowly, the scorching crackling of the fire was replaced by a high-pitched whine. Thin orange beams escaped the fireball, until the entire sphere dissipated amid an explosion of pure light.

"More! MORE! Show me how special you both are!" Gelin gleefully cackled at its enemies. "Then you will be the strongest members of my Corps!" Once more, Gelin materialized the snakes and sent them barreling at Sasuke and Orochimaru. The two ninjas leapt around the chamber with the serpents in close pursuit. The flailing constructs struck the prison walls and doors that surrounded the arena, releasing the prisoners inside.

"Free! Free!" some yelled. Others screamed and ran away in terror of either their captors or the orange light. The braver or more reckless ones rushed Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Gelin, many of them grotesquely disfigured due to their active second levels of Curse Seals.

"I like this world! So many specials! I think I'll have the buffet!" Gelin salivated at the sight. It flicked its wrist, and the snake constructs pursuing Sasuke and Orochimaru turned and began devouring the prisoners whole. Some were gulped down instantly, others fought vainly against the orange apparitions, but slowly the number of living prisoners dwindled. And as they did, their ghostly forms emerged from the Orange Lantern power ring and joined the carnage.

"_Dragonhulk of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Cylon-one of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Quathis of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Edised of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Hazard Gallantmon of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Dylan Millwood of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Omni-Pharoah of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Malix of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Causeiambetta of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Grumpy Winter of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Spider-Fox of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange. Sulli Mike of Sector 2814. You belong to Agent Orange_." The ring trailed off with more and more names, each one a casualty of Gelin's onslaught. The new recruits savagely attacked the living with the intent to kill. Some were eaten, others were sliced to pieces, and more were immolated in rays of orange death. Each one that died bolstered the Orange Lantern Corps' ranks, and soon the entire arena was filled to capacity with constructs. Orochimaru's prisoners were now prisoners of the orange light for eternity.

Only Sasuke, Kabuto, and Orochimaru escaped the massacre. Each had found the key to surviving was to attack the constructs just as the orange apparitions attacked. This instinctively triggered the ghosts' intangibility and nullified the attack. Kabuto concentrated his chakra on his palms using his medical jutsu and neutralized the attacks with just his touch. Sasuke built short busts of _Chidori_ and _Chidori Eiso_ spears to evade the attacks, while Orochimaru cleaved the constructs with his resummoned Kusanagi. Though the ninjas were negating the Orange Lanterns' attacks, theirs did little to the constructs, which continued their relentless assault. Slowly but surely, their chakra supplies began to dwindle.

Orochimaru was the first to stumble. His withering body's stamina faltered for an instant, and it was all the Orange Lanterns needed to descend upon Orochimaru and rip him to pieces. An instant after being torn apart, he opened his maw and a restored Orochimaru emerged from the now discarded skin. But as he did, another cadre of Lantern constructs grabbed the new Sannin and unceremoniously tore him apart again, prompting Orochimaru to once more shed his skin. The cycle repeated again and again, rapidly diminishing his chakra.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto yelled. He tried to get close to his master, but a squadron of Orange Lanterns kept him far too occupied to intervene. Sasuke cared little for his teacher, instead he was focused squarely on Gelin. The key Lantern hovered menacingly over the center of the arena, controlling its own corps with chaotic precision. In repelling the constructs' attacks, Sasuke slowly inched his way as close to Gelin as he could. The approach proved difficult, as Gelin was focusing the majority of its Lanterns on him.

A slight misstep cost Sasuke his chance, as his latest _Chidori_ missed its mark and a snake construct wrapped itself around his arm. The rest of the Corps instantly grabbed him. "Tag! You're it! And mine!" Gelin ranted. It tightened the grip on the serpent construct that held Sasuke tight, and connected the snake's tail to the ring.

Sasuke grinned. This was the chance he was looking for. He activated his _Sharingan_, gathered most of his remaining chakra, and unleashed it all at once.

"_Chidori Nagashi_!" With the Orange Lanterns so close and tangible, the electrified chakra finally hurt the invaders. Those surrounding and holding Sasuke pulsed, warped, and finally dissipated to nothingness. The current traveled through the snake constructs and reached Gelin's ring.

"YIYIYIYIYIYI!" Gelin lost its concentration, causing the rest of the Corps attacking Kabuto and Orochimaru to disappear. The blue-white light of Sasuke's attack combined with the orange light and bathed the arena in a brilliant explosion of light that blinded Sasuke, Kabuto, and Orochimaru. Sasuke landed hard on the ground and breathed heavily. With his chakra diminished, the Cursed Seal deactivated and he regained his normal form. He stood up and stared at where Gelin last was. The Orange Lantern was gone, and so was the ring.

"You're strong for a meatbag," Sasuke heard behind him. Before he had a chance to turn he saw orange arms and claws grasp him and hold him down. Gelin floated into his view with a hungry grin, while the rest of the orange constructs gripped him tight. Sasuke tried to mold more chakra, but then Gelin said: "I want that too, but not like that." Before Sasuke could unleash the last of his chakra, Gelin slammed the orange ring to his chest.

"GUH!" Sasuke felt as the chakra he had just prepared seeped out of his body and into the Orange Lantern ring.

"_Power levels 93%_."

"But in the end, you're just a meatbag," Gelin continued. Somehow, his voice was now different. Whereas before it seemed mad, now it carried a more sinister, calculating air. "A sad, weak, pathetic worm from a rotten hunk of rock. Strange that the best greens are from here; you humans are more fragile than Lonkian glass!" Sasuke struggled in vain under the grip of the Corps. "You hate me? Good. I want your hate. I want your rage. And that will bring me what I want the most."

"And what's that?" Sasuke spat at it. The Lantern retorted by holding his jaw up.

"Hate given form. Rage made manifest. Just like my avarice," was Gelin's answer. "You are the key. And once you have brought it for me, you will both be mine."

The Kusanagi sword suddenly pierced Gelin's back. "Sasuke is MINE!"

Gelin casually phased through the sword and turned towards Orochimaru. "Still kicking? I thought that old husk of yours would've croaked by now!" it taunted, regaining its earlier craze.

"Sannins don't die so easily," Orochimaru answered it. "And you are right Sasuke-kun is a key. His body is the key to my ascension. His eyes the window to my mastery of all jutsu. I will not let you take him!" Orochimaru lunged at Gelin, who immediately went intangible. But as the Sannin phased through, the Lantern realized it was not the target. "Join with me, Sasuke-kun! We will conquer this pigeon and then Itachi together!"

"Back off, pedo-sennin! He's mine!" Gelin swiftly entwined Orochimaru in snake constructs and slammed him against the opposite wall. The seagull left a few of his constructs with Sasuke, then flew in pursuit of the serpentine ninja. "You, on the other hand, have nothing more to offer me! Now you will join my Corps!"

Sasuke watched as Gelin and its Corps descended upon Orochimaru. In the state he was in, and given what they had seen was the power of the orange ring and its light, the result of their attack was a foregone conclusion. "Damn you..." he cursed under his breath. Gelin was right. He was weak. He could not even defeat an insane bird. "Is this Itachi's power now?" he whispered. "Naruto's too?" He thought he could somehow overcome them, but this was too much. He grit his teeth. "Damn you, Gelin." This Lantern was going to kill him without him even having a chance to face Itachi again. "Damn you, Itachi." And as a final insult, either that dumb bird was going to be the one to kill his brother, or worse, Naruto would be the one. "Damn you, Naruto."

Sasuke emptied his lungs with a desperate, hateful yell. The Orange Lanterns holding him shivered with pleasure at the sound.

An instant later, the shivering intensified as a shrill, high-pitched shriek filled the large chamber. The Orange Lanterns suddenly let Sasuke go and convulsed violently. The ones attacking Orochimaru exploded in brilliant showers of orange sparks, followed quickly by those around Sasuke and Kabuto. All three covered their ears as the scream intensified. Only Gelin seemed unaffected, and instead it stared around wildly, expectantly, and giddily. "It's here! It's here! Finally!" He let go of Orochimaru and flew straight up. "Come to me, my beauty! Where are..."

A red beam plowed straight through Gelin, and to everyone's surprise it crumpled in apparent pain. The loud shriek died instantly, and the beam descended straight towards Sasuke. As he stared at the oncoming object, the light itself bent and began randomly orbiting the Uchiha teen.

"This is... that red star..." Sasuke stammered. "And..."

He did not need his _Sharingan_ to see the tip of the beam contained inside a red ring almost identical to Gelin's.

"_Uchiha Sasuke of Sector 2814. You have great rage in your heart_." No one in the chamber had a chance to react. Just as the rough echo dissipated, the ring flew straight onto Sasuke's right middle finger.

"No! I want that!" Gelin yelled. It recovered its form and charged at Sasuke. "That's mi..."

**BaBUM**

"GUWAAAAAAAAGH!" A blazing pulse of pure agony coursed through Sasuke, who screamed as he had never done before as his entire body burned from the inside out. The red ring seared itself onto his flesh and covered him in a brilliant crimson aura. "GUH! G... BLURGH!" Sasuke hunched over and stared horrified as he vomited his own blood. An acrid, sulfuric smell overwhelmed his composure, which caused him to heave more blood. The pain intensified, and his vision blurred into a red haze.

**BaBUM BaBUM**

The agony grew, and yet it no longer caused him suffering. He released the last of his tainted blood, and his heart stopped after one final beat of roaring fury. The burning ring's power overloaded his Curse Seal and forcefully released its second level. His wings erupted forth, but the burning aura consumed the fleshy sinew that bound them together and left only long skeletal fingers. His skin darkened, his veins throbbed with liquid flame, and his tattered robes transformed. His new skin-tight suit was mostly black save for crimson wrists, boots, central torso and back. The ring's symbol, an uncentered circle within two vertically bent lines, emblazoned the uniform's sigil.

**BaBUM BaBUM BaBUM**

Sasuke strained and gazed through the crimson fog in his sight towards Gelin, Kabuto, and his master Orochimaru. He still felt the same hate for them as before, but now there was nothing else. His careful planning, his abundant patience, his self-discipline, his single-mindedness, everything was gone. There was no more pain, no more control, no more restraint. What remained was rage.

Rage, and power.

"_You belong to the Red Lantern Corps_."

"Gimme!" Gelin yelled as it reached out to grab Sasuke's hand.

"Rrrrrrrrrr," Sasuke snarled at Gelin, and in a deft move parried the Orange Lantern's grasp. The new Red Lantern then reached for the seagull's throat, and to its shock this time Sasuke was able to grab it successfully. The boy turned his own ring towards Gelin's struggling body.

"_Burn_."

"RRAAAARRRRRRGH!" A crimson liquid redder than blood erupted from the ring and from Sasuke's mouth. The fluidic light enveloped Gelin completely and began to burn its energy form.

"YIIIIIIIIIIII!" Gelin screamed as the acidic manifestation of rage consumed the light of avarice. In desperation, it shot Sasuke with an orange beam. The light impacted Sasuke dead on his chest, but it only managed to slightly stun him. Sasuke released Gelin out of reflex, and it took the opportunity to quickly fly away from the Red Lantern. "No fair! No fair! That was mine! That was MINE!" Gelin once more aimed its ring at Sasuke and released its entire Corps.

"Grrrrrrrr!" Sasuke growled at the oncoming army. The red ring flared, and Sasuke launched himself straight onto the Orange Lantern Corps. The power ring's influence instinctively harnessed his chakra system, causing it to pour fire and electricity from his Tenketsu. His churning red aura, a mixture of flame, lightning, and hateful light tore through the orange constructs with utter ease, and those that barely touched Sasuke dissolved into nothingness.

"My Corps! Murderer! What did you do to my..." Sasuke cut off Gelin with a warped, almost liquid crimson _Chidori_ to its chest. He forcefully grabbed its ring hand, arced down, and catapulted himself and Gelin straight down.

"_Warning: power corrupted. Power levels 72%_." Still impaling the Orange Lantern, Sasuke opened his mouth again and drenched it with more acidic blood. Gelin's form began to twist and churn horribly. "_Power levels 43%_."

"SHREEEEEE!" Gelin screamed.

"RAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!" Sasuke yelled back. The two Lanterns crashed hard to the arena floor, blasting an orange and red shockwave throughout the chamber and a large dust cloud that enveloped the two. A deafening explosion filled the lair, and Orochimaru and Kabuto covered their faces to protect themselves from the chaos that erupted from the clash. Rocks, debris, and assorted body parts from the dead prisoners flew out from the blast epicenter, some striking the two living ninjas. When the roar finally died out and the dust settled, Orochimaru witnessed a slumped Gelin held strong by a victorious Sasuke.

"Fantastic..." he said with a hungry, gleeful smile. Sasuke hunched over, then let out a bellowing cry to the heavens.

"RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!"

*********Now*********

The calm returned to the broken chamber that used to be Orochimaru's secondary hideout. The bodies of his prisoners and test subjects lay strewn throughout the moon-lit room, victims of the creature's surprise attack. It, in turn, now lay flat on the floor, struggling helplessly under the grip of his protégé. Orochimaru stared hungrily at his choice for student and future host. Sasuke was hunched over and his Curse Seal level-2 wings folded, his every muscle tensed to its tightest. His own blood dripped from his mouth and burned the hapless enemy in his grip.

"Come, Sasuke-kun. Let me bask in this magnificent power," Orochimaru said. His student turned his head around and growled with teeth bared and tightly clenched. His eyes and mouth bled continuously, but none of it touched his new equally crimson suit or the ruby-colored ring that had forced itself onto his right middle finger moments before.

"_Sasuke. Rage_."

Sasuke let go of the nearly dissolved Orange Lantern and faced his teacher directly. A few seconds later, Gelin disappeared completely, leaving only the orange ring lying still and dark on the floor. Orochimaru smiled and licked his lips, yet next to him, Kabuto took a cautious step back.

"Orochimaru-sama, something is not right," he warned his master. "Perhaps we should..."

"Iiiii… taa… chiiiiiiiiii," Sasuke growled.

"Your brother will come soon, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said. "This…" he said, gesturing to all of Sasuke, "this is much more than my expectations from you. This is… perfection!" The serpent ninja slowly but eagerly walked towards his student and held his arms out as if welcoming him. Sasuke, still tense, stopped hissing but kept breathing heavily.

"Orochimaru-sama! You shouldn't! Sasuke is..."

"Silence!" Orochimaru snarled as he turned to Kabuto. "You will not spoil this moment! I've waited far too long for this." He then returned his full attention to his student, now a mighty Red Lantern. "Sasuke's power, the Uchiha's _Sharingan_, since I first saw the power of those eyes, I swore I would claim it. Together with the power of the red ring, I shall become the ultimate being!" He closed in on Sasuke, who still stood tense and still. Orochimaru's face twisted into a wicked smile, and his own eyes widened with mad glee. "Itachi shall be the first... it is about time I surpass him. Then I shall have my revenge against Konoha. Even with the Kyuubi-brat's Lantern help, I will reduce that sad excuse for a Hidden Village to rubble. And that will just be the beginning!" Once he was close enough to Sasuke, he clasped his hands together and told him: "It is time, Sasuke-kun. At long last, you will be mine." The former Sannin took a deep breath, savoring the moment he had been waiting for since he first laid eyes on Sasuke. "_Fushi Te_..."

"_Rage_."

In an instant, Sasuke sliced at Orochimaru's midsection with his skeletal wings. The burning aura surrounding his form cut cleanly through the ninja's body and severed him in two. His lower half remained standing, while his torso was heaved upwards from the force of the cleaving strike.

"Wh... wha..." Orochimaru stammered. Shooting pain coursed through his bisected body and interrupted the jutsu in mid-cast. The Red Lantern wasted no time and flew after his former master, just as the lower half of Orochimaru's body slumped to the ground lifelessly. As he ascended, Sasuke nonchalantly aimed his ring at the lower torso and blasted it with red flame, which consumed the body immediately, while he opened his mouth at the upper part of the Sannin.

On that instant, the older ninja realized that the being in front of him was not what he had been coveting for so long. He saw clearly that the eyes staring back at him were no longer just the _Sharingan_ the boy and his older brother shared. Though the red hue and the three tomoe were still there, Orochimaru found the same symbol of the Red Lanterns had overlapped the Uchiha's bloodline limit. This was no longer Uchiha Sasuke. This Red Lantern was Sasuke's vengeful, unyielding hatred given life and freedom.

For the first time since Itachi had easily defeated him, Orochimaru trembled with fear. He was right to fear the Uchiha, he thought to himself just as he saw red light fill Sasuke's throat. What he feared was about to kill him.

"_Orochimaru. Die_!"

As the first drops of the oncoming wave of fluid hate splashed him, Orochimaru felt a strong tug on his shoulders. The rest of Sasuke's attack narrowly missed his torso. The maimed Sannin glanced up and saw Kabuto had grabbed him in mid-jump and moved him out of the Red Lantern's attack. The duo landed on the other side of the chamber safely just as Sasuke turned towards them.

"Are you alright, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked his master at the same time as Orochimaru used the last of his chakra to regurgitate one more healed body. "We cannot win against this. We must leave." Orochimaru stood up and stared at Sasuke while the latter dove towards them. Kabuto made a few quick hand seals and concentrated. "_Ninpo, Nehan Shoja no jutsu_."

Sasuke stopped in midair as white feathers began to fall from the ceiling. He snarled at them threateningly, then let loose with a few bursts from his ring. The feathers themselves did not burn, but the blasts ignited into flame when they hit the walls of the room and the floor.

"That won't stop him," he told Orochimaru. "That aura will likely prevent the jutsu from knocking him unconscious."

"Sasuke..." Orochimaru panted. "This isn't over..." While the Red Lantern Uchiha continued to attack Kabuto's distraction, the latter performed another set of seals. Soon the feathers died out, but as Sasuke returned his attention to Kabuto and Orochimaru, he saw the two ninjas' form slowly burning away in painless, orange fire. Sasuke dove after the fleeing duo, but before he reached them the Body Flame jutsu finished and they were both gone.

Sasuke landed hard on the spot where his victims had stood moments before. The impact caused his red aura to ignite the resulting crater. Sasuke breathed heavily, more blood dripping from his mouth and eyes to the ground and igniting on contact. With his current targets gone, his single-minded thoughts turned back to the source of his rage. "Rrrrrrrrgh." His aura pulsed and grew, and Sasuke's breath became more labored. He took a very deep breath, tensed every part of his body to its tightest, and finally let loose with a torrent of acidic light from his eyes, mouth, and ring. Blood flew everywhere and drenched the entirety of the lair, and seconds later the manifested hatred ignited into scalding crimson flames. Almost ignorant of the inferno around him, Sasuke squatted, then launched himself straight up, not bothering to aim for the broken part of the ceiling and bursting through another part altogether.

"IIIIIIIITAAAAACHIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Sasuke roared once more. He soared high into the night sky, leaving a blazing crimson trail of light and blood behind him, and an instant later he was gone.

The red flames began to spread through the rest of the hideout. Soon there would be no trace of Orochimaru's presence there, or of any of the horrid experiments he had carried out. Only the last upper half of his numerous discarded skins remained as any evidence of the former Sannin's presence. The burning hate would soon consume that too.

But even red hate could not completely destroy the heart of orange greed.

"_Consumption required immediately_." The orange ring sparked once, then again, and its light slowly grew, casting an orange glow against the surrounding crimson. The ring floated above the flames, and slowly the alien seagull reformed, yet withered and constantly evaporating. Its smoking husk swaggered towards Orochimaru's skin.

"M... mine," it stammered. The ring's energy faltered, and it crashed on top of its target. Weakly, it opened its beak and nicked off a scrap of discarded finger. A sliver of power returned to the ring. Gelin took another, stronger bite, taking a whole hand this time. More energy reached the ring, and now the Orange Lantern savagely devoured the rest of its paltry meal.

"_Consumption complete. Identity stolen_." With its energy replenished somewhat, the alien stood up and grinned.

"Hee hee hee! Mine!"

"_Replicating. Orochimaru of Sector 2814. You belong to_..." A pulse shocked the entirety of the Orange Lantern. Its reformed body now quivered and trembled violently. "_You belong_..." Gelin's shape deformed again. Its legs dissipated to nothingness and its torso crumbled to the ground. "_You bel_..." The ring's voice filled with static, and the alien construct emitted a screech that no normal seagull could mimic. "_Frlzzhwsrrsh_." Gelin raised its winged arm high and finally disappeared, leaving only the tangible solid ring floating silently in midair.

"I belong to NO ONE!" An orange shockwave erupted from the ring. The massive pressure doused the burning crimson rage but finished destroying what little remained of the hideout. The broken prison levels collapsed into piles of rubble, and the walls cracked and split open, spilling dirt and soil into the cavern. On the center of the shockwave, the glowing ring reformed its construct Orange Lantern. But instead of Gelin, a ghostly figure of Orochimaru dressed in a one-piece orange and apricot-tinted black suit smiled wickedly at the sky above. "Yesssss..." the copy hissed. It cupped its hands together over his chest and seared the symbol of the Orange Lantern ring into its new uniform. As it rose from the remains of the lair, its jarring voice echoed on the valley below.

"Sasuke-kun. You are just the beginning. Konoha, Akatsuki, Suna, Kabuto, my original, the Tailed Beasts, the other rings, this whole wretched world... Everything that is, IT WILL ALL BE MINE!"

* * *

Author's blurb: Oh, come on, don't tell me when you first heard about the Orange Lanterns' constant "MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE!" you didn't think of the Finding Nemo seagulls.

In all seriousness, though...

This is bad. This is really bad.

Red Lantern Sasuke, Orange Lantern Orochimaru, and Sinestro Corps Itachi. All the so-called "evil" rings have been assigned to three of the Narutoverse's key villains, and as of yet only one "good" ring. At this rate, love, compassion and hope must choose soon.

But if they do, would that attract the Black?

* * *

In other matters, I have to apologize for taking so long to submit this. I know you've been eagerly waiting for each part, and I know from recent Real Life(TM) experience that patience is not an easy thing to keep. I'm taking a new approach and instead of writing in long bursts, I'm now doing little bits every day even if it's only one sentence at a time. At least it gets done. In addition, sorry to all the newly minted Orange Lanterns I wasn't able to explicitly mention by name; rest assured I was thinking of each and every one of you :) Keep the reviews coming, too! That really lets me know people like what I'm doing and motivates me to continue. Constructive criticism is also welcome. Flames, on the other hand, will be saved up to keep me warm next winter :)


	8. Love Conquers All

Chapter 7: Love Conquers All

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814._

_Or at least, I used to be_.

_After Itachi escaped, we rushed Neji to the hospital. Shizune-neechan and Sakura-chan took care of him as soon as we got there. Choji and Tenten were released after a short checkup, but Choji was ticked that it'll take a while to regrow his hair. Thick-Brows went with Ino's dad to clear his mind from Itachi's Genjutsu, while Ino bandaged Shikamaru's ribs. Some doctor checked me, but by the time we got there I was fine. Sometimes having the stupid fox does have its benefits._

_But that's about it for the good news. I used up all of the ring's power to defeat Itachi, and I have no idea where to start looking for this power battery. And I have no clue what this Oa is, or if this Salaak even knows I exist. Some corpsman I turned out to be._

"Ring, power check." The only answer the ring gave Naruto was silence. He sat by himself on a long bench in one of Konoha's parks, looking mutely at the Green Lantern ring. Perhaps because of its power loss, its emerald polish looked dimmer, Naruto thought. It had been three days since the battle in the Forest of Death and he was no closer to figuring out how to recharge the ring. His first attempt was to stick the ring head onto a wall socket in his apartment, and all that achieved was a heck of an electric shock that knocked him out for half a day. The next morning he left the ring on a windowsill to see if sunlight helped, but that did nothing either. Today he was drawing a blank.

"This isn't like you, Naruto," someone said behind him. Naruto turned, and his mood brightened when he recognized who it was.

"Ero-Sennin!"

"Yo," the elder Sannin saluted his pupil. After two and a half years of single-handedly training the boy, Jiraiya had learned better than to ask Naruto not to call him a perverted sage.

"What're you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"I thought you could use some company," answered Jiraiya. Naruto glanced down and saw the Sannin had brought a pair of popsicles and was offering him one. He smiled, took it, and scooted to the side of the bench to give Jiraiya a spot.

The two took a bite out of their snacks. The cold ice treat was a welcome reprieve from the midday sun's warm rays. They both enjoyed the treat quietly for a few minutes, until Jiraiya broke the silence.

"Tsunade told me what happened," he said.

"She did?" Naruto asked with his mouth full. After swallowing another bite, he added: "How much?"

"All of it, hero," the older ninja said, nodding towards the ring.

"Not anymore," Naruto sniggered. He brought the ring up to chest-height and focused on it. "The ring had a charge I didn't know about until it was too late. It ran out after fighting Itachi."

"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya interjected. "You held off Uchiha Itachi by yourself, Naruto, and he had a ring just like yours. That is beyond what even most Jounin could ever accomplish."

"But I've got nothing to show for it," Naruto said. "I'm still a Genin, Itachi's still out there with some ring power left, and I'm no longer a Green Lantern. Knowing him, he'll figure out a way to repower his ring soon, and if that happens who's gonna stop him?"

"You worry too much, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "If Itachi can figure out a way, so can you."

"Can I? I've already tried. Electricity won't power it, sunlight won't charge it… the only thing that can…"

"Is a power battery," Jiraiya finished for him. "Tsunade mentioned you told her in your mission report."

Naruto sighed and smiled weakly. "Baachan really told you everything, didn't she?"

Jiraiya gave Naruto one of his trademark wide grins. "My irresistible charm easily sways even the Hokage's strong temperame…"

"Yeah, right! That's the same charm that didn't get you any girls during the last two years."

"Don't make fun of my techniques, brat!" Jiraiya shot back while Naruto chuckled. He bit the frozen treat while his eldest teacher calmed down.

"So, yes, only a power battery can recharge the ring. I guess that's the only thing that generates the kind of green light energy the ring uses," Naruto said.

"I was curious about that light myself," Jiraiya said. "From what I heard, Itachi mentioned his own ring was fueled by fear, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So it follows that yours should be powered by another emotion. Willpower, if I remember right."

"That doesn't even make sense," Naruto countered. "I mean, I can understand that my own fear would make me lose focus and thus control of the ring, but that emotion can be collected?"

"At first it does sound ridiculous," Jiraiya accepted, "but so does chakra to non-ninjas. These Corps may have somehow mastered the technique for collecting and harnessing emotions into controllable light."

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, a few days ago just the thought of a ring that worked on imagina…" He stopped midsentence when something Jiraiya had said clicked on his mind.

"What's wrong?" the older ninja asked.

"Chakra… Neji said the ring's energy looked like chakra when he used his Byakugan…" Naruto stood up and paced side to side in front of Jiraiya. The Sannin, for his part, kept looking straight at his student. Naruto was focused on his thoughts so much he did not see Jiraiya's wide smile. "Let's say I'm crazy and I believe Itachi. His ring is powered by fear, and mine by will. If Neji's right, the power ring's collected will is like chakra." Naruto stopped in front of Jiraiya and gave him an optimistic look. "So if I try to channel chakra while feeling will…"

Jiraiya's answer was a simple nod.

"OK!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air resolutely. "Third time's the charm!" He loosened his hand and brought it down. He took a deep breath, made a quick hand seal, and began molding chakra.

"Don't rush it," Jiraiya warned him. "Be calm, but resolute." Naruto let his breathing slow a little, and at first he focused exclusively on generating chakra. Once he felt the familiar surge of power, he steeled himself. He let his mind wander to the moment he had first activated the ring. His breathing quickened slightly as he drove to keep his chakra from leaking too much, a task much more difficult than he expected given his impulsive nature. But the act of control helped him focus further, and on his mind's eye he allowed only a single thought. He imagined himself, once more a Green Lantern, hovering resolutely and protectively over all of Konoha.

In a slow, deliberate motion, Naruto crouched slightly and cupped his left hand over his closed right fist. As if forming a _Rasengan_, he let his molded chakra flow from his body and into the power ring. Faint wisps of blue chakra emerged, some touching the ring, others flowing away. He allowed himself to open his eyes but only to look straight at the Green Lantern ring. The tufts of chakra grew into a small continuous stream that gently poured down to his right hand. He did not focus on the chakra that spilled out and disappeared, instead his sole intent was placed squarely on the central part that fell at the ring.

"_Power levels 2%_."

His determination almost faltered when he heard the ring's voice. He discarded the split-second distraction and let more of his chakra be absorbed into the ring. His attempt was working, he realized. His will soared, the ring's emerald glow began to return, and in his sight he saw the Green Lantern symbol appear over his pupils. Now the stream tightened, and as the chakra kept flowing, it turned from its normal azure to a bright jade. His clothes suddenly flashed and transformed, and as he felt the ring's power envelop him once more, he spoke words that rose from the depths of his heart.

"_In brightest day,  
__In blackest night,  
__No evil shall escape my sight!  
__Let those who worship evil's might,  
__Beware my power,  
__GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT_!"

The last of his chakra seeped into the now-restored power ring. Exhausted, he let himself fall to his knees. Though he panted heavily and sweat poured down his forehead, his smile was evident, as was Jiraiya's. "You did well," he beamed. The Sannin stood up and helped Naruto back up to sit on the bench.

Naruto glanced around and saw his restored green uniform, which to his liking now had taken a slightly different appearance that made it look closer to his regular clothes. The upper part of the suit now resembled the pattern on his jacket, although the color was naturally green instead of orange. His pants were still completely black save for a bandage-shaped green strap around his right leg. The white gloves and boots still remained, as did the Green Lantern symbol on his chest. His first query to the ring was easy: "Ring, power check."

"_Power levels 52%_."

Naruto squinted in surprise. "All of my chakra only got it half full?"

"Think of it this way, then," Jiraiya said, "once fully charged, that's a lot of power to hold in such a simple piece of jewelry."

"You have no idea," Naruto answered him. "Too bad I'm out of normal chakra. Maybe if I drain some from the dumb fox…"

"Absolutely not," Jiraiya suddenly warned. Though Naruto easily guessed why, he let the Sannin continue. "You know how tainted the Kyuubi's chakra is. You haven't forgotten the last mission, did you?"

"Of course not!" Naruto answered, pained at the thought of the wound he gave Sakura. "I just thought that if I didn't actually use the chakra and just fed it to the ring…"

"We have no way of knowing how it would react to such an evil chakra. Now that we know that the rings are powered by emotion, nothing good can come out of driving such hate into concentrated will."

"I guess you're right," Naruto shrugged.

"Don't worry about it," Jiraiya said, placing a hand on the blonde teen's shoulder. "Just rest for a while, recover your chakra, and then you should be able to bring it up to full power."

"That's the idea!" Naruto agreed. "But there's no hurry. Even at half-full the ring still works the same."

"Show me."

"Huh?"

"Why not give me a little demonstration of the ring's power?"

"Sure!" Naruto eagerly accepted. "What do you want me to do?"

"Surprise me," Jiraiya grinned. Naruto glanced at his teacher and after a second also grinned evilly. Standing up, he sharpened his mind on the shape he knew the hermit would like and raised the ring.

A voluptuous, long haired naked girl emerged, jumped onto the Sannin, and caressed his face tenderly. An instant later she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Jiraiya nearly toppled the bench back in surprise, but a second and equally nude female construct caught him with her bouncy chest. "GUWAAAA!" Jiraiya exclaimed gleefully as a torrent of blood rushed from his nostrils. Two seconds later the powerful ninja was reduced to a twitching mess.

"Bwahahaha! That's so weak, Ero-Sennin! No wonder you can't get any girls!" Naruto taunted his teacher. As soon as he dispelled the constructs, Jiraiya regained his senses.

"You brat! Why'd you do that?"

"Oh, come on, don't you want research for your next book?" Naruto joked. When he saw Jiraiya calm down and hum as if deep in thought, he backed off a bit. "Wait a sec… I was…"

"Research is good. Why don't you bring them back again so I can do a thorough examination?" he said in his creepy tone. He then stood up and approached Naruto.

"I was joking, dammit!" Naruto countered as he summoned a large Stop sign in front of his teacher. When Jiraiya ducked under the construct and closed in, the restored Green Lantern jumped high and hovered above the Sannin. The older ninja ceased his antics and admired his student.

"Now that is really impressive," he said. Naruto nodded. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Eat! After spending all that chakra, I'm starving!" he answered and patted his stomach. He ascended higher to the sky while Jiraiya called him out from below.

"Don't overuse the ring too much, Naruto! Use it wisely!"

"I will! Thanks, Ero-Sennin!" Naruto waved goodbye to Jiraiya, then sped off into the noon sky.

Jiraiya waved back, then whispered: "Naruto… you're already a great ninja. I know you'll be a great Lantern too." As he walked away, he thought to himself out loud: "Tales of the Green Lantern… that might make for an interesting book…"

* * *

Sai knelt and kept his head down. He was in a large underground chamber crisscrossed by various walkways and held together by four massive round pillars. In front of him, an old man wearing a long kimono walked towards him with the help of a simple wooden cane. A black coat completely covered his lower body and left torso, leaving his right arm hidden from view. His face was worn and bore the scars of many battles. Bandages covered his right eye, and he kept his left one closed. But Sai knew that this man could easily land a kunai right on his heart with his eye closed if he so wished.

"Reporting as ordered, Danzou-sama," Sai respectfully greeted the man.

The leader of the clandestine ANBU Root division did not reciprocate the younger ninja's greeting. Instead he went straight to the point: "I understand you were in the mission to the Hidden Steel, where this Green Lantern was first sighted."

"That is correct, sir," Sai immediately answered.

"Then I have only one question for you," Danzou continued. "Is it true what my spy in the Hokage's office says? Is Uzumaki Naruto the recipient of the green ring?"

Sai opened his mouth to answer, but his throat did not utter any sound. He did not understand why, but he suddenly felt his chest tighten. He was at a loss as to what was happening to him, and why he could not answer a simple question from his superior.

"You will speak," Danzou added sternly, both a command and a threat at the same time.

This time Sai found his voice. "Yes," was his sole reply. The tightness in his chest remained.

"Disgusting. That such a magnificent power be given to a reckless, irresponsible child that fantasizes on becoming Hokage. Tsunade-hime should have confiscated the ring as soon as she knew it was given to him, a Jinchuuriki, no less."

Sai did not answer Danzou's tirade. For the most part, he knew enough about his master to know that sometimes he spoke his mind aloud among his subordinates without expecting or wanting a reply. But something deeper stirred within Sai. When he heard the Root leader insulting Naruto, he found he had unknowingly clenched his fists. What was this, he asked himself silently.

"How did he acquire it?" Danzou asked next. This time Sai knew he had to answer.

"As odd as it may sound, the ring chose him," was his reply. "The weapon itself seems to have some limited sentience, and as I understand, it chose Uzumaki Naruto because, in its own words, he has the ability to overcome great fear."

"So does any Konoha shinobi," Danzou countered. Sai again knew it was not his place to answer this one. "I must evaluate this situation further. In the meantime, your orders are the following. Observe everything you can about Uzumaki Naruto. Determine the strengths and weaknesses of the ring, how he uses it, and if it could potentially be taken from him."

Sai once again felt the same tightness in his heart, and yet again his clenched throat did not allow him to answer. Before Danzou could castigate him again, Sai forced himself to answer: "Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." Sai immediately obeyed the leader. As he jumped from walkway to walkway up and out of the hidden lair, the grip on his heart finally loosened, but a strange sensation remained. It was not quite pain, but it was a lingering discomfort that did not fade even after he exited out into the village.

"I… feel?" he wondered. A few weeks ago he had no memory of experiencing physical pain without any injury. Some of the books he was reading alluded to this possibility, so he was not entirely surprised he was still capable of such feelings. At first he was at a loss as to the cause, so he thought about what had just happened during the meeting. The pain started when he revealed Naruto's new powers to Danzou, something which he had to admit gave him trouble to even say. He thought about all the books he had started reading that explained friendship, and tried to think of any particular emotion that would cause him this type of physical pain. He stopped in the middle of a busy street, looked down, and massaged his chest when he thought of one emotion that fit what he felt at the moment. "Is this… regret?"

* * *

Sakura left the hospital after finishing her weekly nursing practice. Although Tsunade did not require that of her, she felt it helped her keep her medical ninjutsu skills honed in between missions. It was near lunchtime, so she headed out towards her favorite dumpling restaurant. Once she made it to the main street, she saw and heard the villagers going about their business but with a slight air of excitement.

"Did you hear? He's back!" Sakura overheard one of two children say. She did not pay much attention until the young boy's friend answered him.

"Yeah! I saw him flying around!" She turned her head toward the two, but they were gone by then.

"Flying?" she asked.

"I don't know about that," an old shopkeeper told his customer. "Sounds like too much of a good thing."

"I'm telling you!" the middle-aged lady insisted. "That green boy built a whole oven and cooking tools so I could finish that wedding catering on time!"

"Green boy? Did Naruto…"

"There he is! There's hero-san!" a little girl told her mother. The woman and the rest of the passing villagers glanced to where she was pointing, and they all started cheering and clapping when they saw the green trail left behind by a very humanlike figure.

"He did figure out how to repower the ring!" Sakura said to herself. The Green Lantern flew over the same street she was in, then turned a corner and dove over a side street. As the villagers cheered him on, Sakura decided to personally congratulate him for restoring his powers. She waded through the multitude and followed his path from the ground, until she ducked into another alley devoid of any other people. "Naruto? Are you there?" If he was there, he did not answer. Sakura walked deeper into the alley and called him out again: "Naruto! I know you're here!"

"Can't get anything past you, Sakura-chan," a voice said behind her. Startled, Sakura instinctively whirled around and threw a relatively weak backhand. Her fist nearly struck Naruto, who jumped to the air instinctively, but it did hit a construct he had generated. From a few feet above, Naruto hovered frightfully.

"Sorry! Ninja habit," Sakura apologized. She glanced down to see the construct she'd struck, and when she saw what it was and how it lay on the soiled ground, her stomach cramped. "Were those…"

"Flowers," Naruto finished for her with a low voice. The green creation was slowly dissolving, but the paper-wrapped roses and tulips were still discernible. Sakura glanced at Naruto, who had a downcast look as he floated back down next to her, then back to the flowers, which mirrored his mood and began wilting and losing petals with the barest breeze.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto. Do you think you can…" she did not have to finish her sentence. Naruto's mood immediately improved, and likewise the petals reattached themselves to the flowers and the whole bouquet raised itself to Sakura's waiting hands.

"Sorry they don't smell," Naruto apologized, "I don't think the ring can create scents."

"It's fine," Sakura said as she brought them up to her head and took a deep breath. "They're beautiful." At this, the Green Lantern grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh! I just…" Naruto started, then paused. Sakura smiled a bit when she saw his reddening cheeks contrast with green aura. "I was heading to lunch, and, y'know, I just thought, well, if you hadn't eaten yet…"

"You're asking me out to lunch?" Sakura quizzically finished for him.

"I… guess?"

"As in a date?" she asked. Naruto gulped. Sakura grinned. "You're paying," she said, pointing at him and standing up.

"Wait, so that's a y…"

"Come on, I'm hungry too." Sakura turned and jogged back to the street entrance. Once Naruto shook his stupor, he quickly restored his regular clothes and dashed after his teammate. The two walked casually down the merchants' row, chatting normally and small-talking.

"So where do you want to eat?" Naruto finally asked her during a brief pause.

"You invited," Sakura told him, "so you get to pick." As soon as she said the last word she realized her mistake, because Naruto immediately beamed and pointed at the nearby Ichiraku.

"Hey, old man! Two spots!" Naruto called out to Teuchi as he ran ahead. Sakura shrugged, followed him, and then sat next to him.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, it's been a while!" Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, greeted him. "And Sakura-san, too."

"Yo, Ayame-neechan," Naruto greeted her. Sakura gave her a friendly nod.

"I'm glad I got to see you before I left," the waitress said.

"EEH? You're leaving?" Naruto asked.

"Only for a short time," Teuchi answered. "My little girl's finally ready to learn making her own recipes."

"Yeah, and I want to start by working with ingredients from the Wind Country. Who knows, I might open a franchise!"

"Well, if you reach the Sand Village, I'm sure that even the Kazekage will become a regular," Sakura said.

"So let's celebrate!" Naruto exclaimed. "To Ayame-neechan's journey, and to our date!" he said while he wrapped his arm around Sakura's shoulder. The kunoichi quickly shoved him away.

"Don't push your luck!" she yelled.

"And to the success of our new superhero!" Teuchi added. At this, Naruto and Sakura both tensed up.

"I… I don't know what you mean," Naruto nervously stuttered.

"Please, Naruto, it's obvious you're this Green Lantern," Ayame pouted. "Aside from you openly showing your ring," Naruto quickly covered it in response, "we know what you look like, but more importantly, we know YOU," she finished.

"Of course we'd recognize our favorite customer," Teuchi added. "So tell you what. Today lunch is on the house."

"Really? AWESOME!" Naruto cheered.

"We'll make a new dish I was thinking of," Ayame said, "inspired by your name and costume."

"We look forward to it!" Sakura beamed. Teuchi and Ayame immediately started cooking, while Naruto and Sakura sat back and waited for their meal.

"So how did you restore it?" Sakura asked Naruto.

"Ero-Sennin gave me the idea. I just used my chakra to simulate the ring's normal power source."

"Aren't you tired from using up your chakra?"

"A little, but you know me," Naruto said. "Gimme some time and some food and I'm ready for anything!"

Sakura did not say anything else immediately. She smiled at her teammate, genuinely glad to see him so happy. After the last mission, she thought, he could use a good pick-me-up. "So you're back for good?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to be silent for a few seconds. "More or less," he then answered. "I was only able to get it up to about half-full. I did use it a bit today, so… ring, power check."

"_Power levels 49%_."

"At least you know to keep an eye on its energy levels now."

"It's going to be a pain," Naruto complained. "Each charge lasts for about a day, so I'm gonna have to use up a lot of chakra to power it."

"If you don't want it, you could always give it to me," Sakura joked. "I wouldn't mind using up chakra if it meant I could have a ring like yours."

"I don't know," Naruto said with a coy voice. "Maybe if you said please really nicely." They both stared at each other for a few seconds before Sakura burst out laughing.

"Not bad for a first pick-up line attempt," she told him. "You might want to work on them a bit more."

"Hey, it was worth a shot," he answered with a friendly shrug. "And don't worry, I'll still take you flying every so often for free," he added with a wink.

"Now that I can agree to," she said. A warm feeling of excitement washed over her at the thought of swimming through the clouds again. She waited for Naruto to say something funny again, but she found his mood suddenly turned serious.

"Before any of that, though, there's something I have to do," he said solemnly. Sakura kept looking at him expectantly. "Sakura-chan, I'll finally be able to keep my promise."

"Naruto…" she whispered. Naruto then turned himself to face Sakura straight.

"I'm going to bring him back," he said, raising his ring to eye level. She saw that his pupils had again turned jade and manifested the Green Lantern symbol. "No matter how long it takes me, or how many times I have to give my chakra to the ring, I'm going to bring Sasuke back."

"Naruto… you don't have to…"

"Yes, I do!" he interrupted her. "I promised you I would! If he's still fixed on Itachi, then we can get him together!" he continued. He glanced at the ring again and added: "He's also my enemy now. Not just because he's Akatsuki, but now because as a Green Lantern, it is my responsibility to take out anyone from the Sinestro Corps." Now he fixed his gaze at Sakura again. "We can do it. Us three, together. Itachi won't stand a chance. Then Team 7 will be whole again."

Sakura did not say anything at first. She just stared at Naruto and wondered how the young, hot-headed troublemaker she had met years ago was growing up into the powerful ninja now in front of her. She glanced at the ring. Had it brought about this change in her friend?

"_No_," she thought to herself. "_It wasn't the ring. This is the real him._" She reached out and placed her hand over Naruto's right one. She intentionally covered the ring, and she swore she felt a slight tingle on her palm when her skin touched the emerald metal. Naruto, on the other hand, blushed.

"The ring couldn't have made a better choice," she told him, which made his cheeks even redder. "You… we'll get him back. I don't know how I'll be able to help you, but I'll be there with you. No matter what. That's my promise."

"S… Sakura-chan…" he stuttered. He felt his pulse quicken with her touch. His eyes locked onto hers, and his stomach tightened. His instincts were telling him to lean right in and kiss Sakura on the spot, her potential wrath be damned. Tentatively and ever so slowly, he approached her.

"Yo, Naruto!" a familiar voice chimed. Naruto suddenly felt a strong arm go around his shoulder. The sudden startle knocked him out of his trance, and he turned to see who had ruined his stellar chance with Sakura.

"KIBA?" The hunched over Inuzuka Chuunin's wide grin and painted face greeted the not-so-happy Naruto. "YOU BASTARD!"

"Damn, is that any way to greet a comrade?" Kiba asked while taking his hand off Naruto and standing up straight. The latter immediately stood up and grabbed Kiba by the collar.

"GREET MY ASS! YOU JUST KILLED THE MOOD!" Naruto retorted angrily. Sakura laughed nervously.

"I am forced to agree with Naruto, Kiba," another voice called out from outside the shop. "Your timing was entirely inappropriate in this situation." The speaker moved the short curtains aside and greeted Naruto and Sakura with a curt nod.

"Hello, Shino," Sakura greeted him. "And you too, Akamaru." From behind Kiba, his faithful companion walked up and gave Sakura a friendly bark.

"What the hell are you doing here, anyway?" Naruto asked Kiba, a bit less angry but still holding his shirt.

"Jeez, don't pop a vein, Naruto," he answered, shaking off Naruto's grip. "We were just walking around and saw you, and figured we should say hi to the newest town celebrity."

"Huh?" Naruto asked. He already guessed what they meant, but played along in deference to the Hokage's orders. "And who would that be?"

"You, of course," Shino was quick to answer. "Why? Because it is obvious you are this Green Lantern everyone is discussing."

"Dammit, why is it called a secret identity if it's not a secret at all?" he complained.

"Don't sweat it," Kiba consoled him. "It might be pretty obvious to your friends, but from what I hear the villagers don't suspect a thing. Right, Hina…" Kiba turned around to ask his other teammate, but stopped short when he saw she was not there. "Hinata?"

"Hinata was here too?" Naruto asked. He did not see her come in or accompanying Kiba, Shino and Akamaru.

"She was, but she disappeared again," Kiba said with a shrug. "What's wrong with that girl?" Sakura and Shino exchanged knowing glances.

"Perhaps we should accompany her as well," Shino proposed. Akamaru woofed in agreement.

"You can give us the demo as soon as we're back with her, Naruto,"

"Oh, I'll give you a demo, alright," Naruto hissed at Kiba between gritted teeth. He raised his ringed fist menacingly and let the ring glow bright.

"Ease up, will you?" he waved Naruto off. "You were doing a good job before, so it shouldn't take you much to get your groove on aga…"

"WHAT WAS THAT!" Sakura growled. Kiba wasted no time and ran out of Ichiraku, while Shino and Akamaru sweatdropped.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata stood hunched against a wooden fence on an empty alley across the street from the ramen stand. "Naruto-kun…" she said, fighting hard to not allow the flow of any tears. She hugged herself so tightly it hurt, but it helped to dull the pain in her heart.

Like Kiba and Shino, she had heard about and seen the Green Lantern flying around the village. She almost fainted when, in a moment of curiosity, her _Byakugan_ allowed her to decipher the identity of the new hero. She was the one who happily revealed the fact to Kiba and Shino, who then suggested they should congratulate him on his new gift the next time they saw him. After much internal debate, she steeled herself to try her best to approach him on the subject and wish him well. When she saw him a few moments ago eating at Ichiraku, she took a deep breath as she followed her teammates to the restaurant.

Then she saw he was not alone. He was joined by Haruno Sakura, and she did not need her special ability to notice the seriousness, and closeness, of their conversation. She tightened her fist when Sakura's hands encircled Naruto's, and when she saw him ever so slowly lean in towards the pink-haired ninja, a sharp pain shot across her heart. She could not bear the sight, and so abandoning her comrades, she ran to her current hiding place.

"There you are, Hinata," a known voice said to her right.

"K-Kiba-kun!"

"Are you alright?" Shino asked.

"Y-yes, of course," she lied. Kiba fell for it, but despite Shino's sunglasses and thick hood, she knew he did not.

"Why didn't you join us? You were the one who wanted to congratulate Naruto for his Green Lantern ring," Kiba asked her.

"I just thought… he was busy… so maybe we could have met him later…"

"I told you it was the wrong moment to greet them," Shino castigated Kiba.

"Fine, fine, I made a mistake, ok?" Kiba relented. He continued talking a bit with Shino, but Hinata let her mind wander for a moment.

Naruto did look busy, but Hinata had noticed something else. He looked determined, and afterward, happy. With Sakura. Hinata turned her back to Kiba, Shino and Akamaru and began slowly walking away into the alley. Part of her was happy Naruto had found happiness, and for that she was glad. But the growing emptiness in her heart still left her with an unbearable pain that finally overcame her will. A single tear rolled down her scrunched face.

"Naruto-kun…" she said with more of a sob than a whisper.

* * *

"Enjoy your meal!" Teuchi and Ayame proclaimed simultaneously. They presented Naruto and Sakura with two steaming bowls of fresh ramen.

"It looks delicious!" Sakura beamed. The light brown broth was littered with green herbs and spices, and a few pieces of cucumber, lettuce, and seaweed decorated the tender noodles.

"I'm still thinking of a name for it. How does Lantern's Delight sound?"

"As long as it tastes as good as it smells, you can call it whatever you like!" Naruto proclaimed. He took two sets of chopsticks and offered one to Sakura, who took it with a friendly nod. They both separated the joined pieces of wood and then clasped their hands together.

"_Itadakimasu_!" They dipped their utensils into the broth, grabbed a mouthful of noodles and vegetables, and opened their mouths in hungry anticipation.

"_Warning. Emotional detonation detected_."

"What? What's the matter rin…" Before Naruto could finish, a silent yet brilliant flash of violet light blinded the four. Instinctively, Naruto raised his ring and conjured a bubble that covered Ichiraku Ramen protectively.

"What was that?" Teuchi asked once the flash faded.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out right now!" Naruto resolved. He stood up and charged his ring, and his clothes morphed into his modified Green Lantern uniform.

Ayame could not help herself and marveled: "That's so cool…"

"I'm going with you, Naruto," Sakura said, also standing up.

"Keep the soups warm, Teuchi-san. I plan to eat that once I'm done," Naruto smiled to the restaurant owner. The old man responded with a thumbs-up.

"Be careful, Naruto, Sakura."

"Will do, Ayame" Sakura confirmed. She and Naruto rushed to the source of the light, her on foot and him flying very close to the ground.

"Ring, locate source of detonation," Naruto ordered. Its response was to point a faint laser into a nearby alley.

"That's where Kiba and Shino went!" Sakura said. Wordlessly, the two ninjas rushed into the secluded street. Just as they got in, the two stopped in their tracks, shocked at what they saw.

Right in front of them, Kiba and Shino lay trapped and paralyzed, encased in towering pillars of violet crystal. Just to their side, Akamaru lay whining in pain with his front right foot also encased in a crystal prison.

"What did this to them?" Sakura gasped. She bent down and took Akamaru's foot, examining the crystal as she did so.

"Is this some kind of jutsu?" Naruto wondered as he too touched the crystal encasing Shino. "I'm going to break them out!"

"Wait, Naruto! Don't!" Sakura shouted at him. Naruto glanced at her inquisitively, and she in turn picked up one of many small crystal shards that lay strews around the area. Sakura showed it to Naruto, who saw that inside one of Shino's chakra-eating insects was also trapped. When he tapped it hard, the crystal and the bug inside shattered. "We can't break them out like this," Sakura told him. "We could kill them."

"They can't be trapped inside forever!" Naruto countered. "Ring, suggestions?"

"_Extreme caution advised when attempting to dispel Star Sapphire constructs_."

"Star Sapphire?" Sakura asked.

"Construct? Like another type of Lantern?" Naruto added.

"_Affirmative_."

"Elaborate."

"_Partial response possible. Star Sapphire: Zamaron response to Green Lantern Corps. Intentions and affiliation unknown. Further information currently within corrupted files. Approach with caution_."

"Dammit!" Naruto cursed. "First Itachi and now this Star Sapphire? What does he want with Kiba, Shino and…" Naruto stopped in mid-sentence when he realized that only two of the three members of Kurenai's squad were present. "Hinata…" he whispered.

"You think this Star Sapphire took Hinata?" Sakura asked, her worry easily carried in her hushed voice. Akamaru whined again at the mention of the Hyuuga's name. Naruto grit his teeth and the green ring shone so bright it opaqued the violet glow of the crystals.

"If he did, I'll make him regret it," Naruto hissed. "Ring, locate Hyuuga Hinata."

"_Subject Hyuuga Hinata located 15 kilometers west-southwest. Distance increasing_."

"The bastard does have her." Wasting no further time, Naruto slowly rose above the ground and hovered over Sakura.

"Take me with you," Sakura told him.

"Not this time, Sakura-chan."

"But I promised we'd…"

"You can help me by taking care of them," Naruto told her, pointing at Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru. Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Naruto's resolution changed her mind.

"I'll get them to the hospital," she said with a nod. "I'll see if Tsunade-sama and I can help them."

"And I'm going after this Star Sapphire," Naruto declared. "I'll bring them both back, I'll make him free Kiba and Shino, and then I'll beat him to a pulp for kidnapping Hinata!" Without saying anything else, he soared higher until he was above the tallest building in the village.

"Naruto, be careful!" Sakura yelled out to him.

"I will, Sakura-chan." As soon as he said the last word, he was gone in a flash of green light.

* * *

"_Distance: 8 kilometers southwest. Subject distance no longer increasing_."

"So he's stopped," Naruto concluded. "I'm almost there. Hold on, Hinata!" He had flown nonstop since leaving Konoha, and all the time he accurately tracked Hinata and her captor. It surprised him a little that he was able to detect another Lantern with ease given the trouble his ring had when trying to focus on Itachi. Along the way, he found several patches of crystal deposits, but thankfully none contained any people or animals inside. If not for Kiba and Shino's situation, he would think this Star Sapphire was not as vicious as Itachi. The sooner he got to this new Lantern, the better.

"_Distance: 6 kilometers west. Target appears to be stationary_." Since leaving, Naruto was only slowly catching up with the Star Sapphire. They were both now much farther than the original fifteen kilometers the ring had indicated, but it appeared that he had finally stopped.

"Better make sure I'm ready. Ring, power check."

"_Power levels 47%_," the ring answered.

"Let's hope it's enough," he said to himself. Without food, he had not been able to replenish his chakra enough to try to charge the ring again. He willed himself to go even faster, and below, the trees blended into a single streaking mass of green.

"_Warning. Emotional detonation imminent_."

"Location?" Before the ring could answer, a bright flash of violet light erupted from the ground a short distance in front of him. Unlike the previous one in the village, a deafening screech like grinding metal reverberated throughout the forest. Naruto raised his force field to its maximum and conjured a large spherical shield, dismissing it only when the light and sound subsided. He observed the epicenter of the explosion, and saw that many of the trees surrounding it were encased in the same crystal structures Kiba and Shino had been trapped in. "Nevermind. Here I go!" Keeping his force field up, he readied his ring, molded what chakra he could muster, and dove into the forest below.

The Green Lantern rushed through the tree barks and headed straight towards a lingering shine of violet light. As he approached, the lavender glow intensified and gave the woods an unearthly hue. Soon he found that the trees were not just reflecting light, and instead they gave off light out of cancerous crystals that coated their barks. The closer he got, the denser the crystal deposits grew. At all times he kept his ring aimed right at the source of the light, ready to unleash its power at the first sign of attack from the Star Sapphire.

The forest opened up, and Naruto found himself in a barren clearing near the epicenter of the last blast. All around him, crystal pillars, constructs, and prisons completely encased the nearest trees, and in front of him the ground descended into a single point. At the center of the crater lay a humanoid figure hunched over with its arms around its knees. The person's violet glow convinced Naruto he'd found who he was looking for.

"Star Sapphire!" he called out, his ring aimed directly at the other Lantern. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, Green Lantern of Sector 2814! Surrender and come back with me to Konoha, or else I'll beat you up and take you back by force!"

The Star Sapphire seemed to shrug, but then Naruto heard like a pained breath. "I… I wanted to help you… but…" What surprised the blonde ninja was the tone of the voice.

"You're a girl?" he asked.

"Kiba-kun… Shino-kun… I'm sorry," she whispered. The Star Sapphire then stood up, turned around, and gazed directly at Naruto. "I'm so sorry… Naruto-kun…"

Naruto slowly let his ring arm fall to his side without resistance. His mouth hung open as he stared back, horrified, at the figure he instantly recognized. "Hi… Hinata?" he whispered.

In stark contrast to her bulky coat, Hinata's new attire consisted of a tight, violet suit that encased her legs, thighs, and arms, but left little to the imagination on her front torso. A white décolletage arced upwards from her neck, and a pearly tiara bejeweled with a glowing sapphire adorned her raven hair. Despite her new, sultry look, Naruto could not help but focus exclusively on her misty eyes from which grief-stricken tears flowed freely. On her right hand, a glowing, pulsing, violet power ring dripped tiny pieces of crystal energy and covered her in a twisting aura.

Hinata brought her right hand up to her heart, and the violet power ring sparked violently as she did. Between mournful sobs, she managed to eke out a few dire words: "Before I hurt anyone else… Naruto-kun… please… kill me!"

* * *

Author's blurb: Love (n): a feeling of warm, personal attachment or deep affection; a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person

No wonder love hurts. When such a pure emotion is scarred, it can warp and twist one's self just as much as rage. Looks like Hinata is no exception. But to ask Naruto to kill her...

The Star Sapphire ring alone, tempered by the Zamarons as it is, shouldn't be so uncontrollable...

Hmm… I should raise the shields… something tells me I just painted a bull's-eye on my head for the pairing wars shippers to shoot at… Stall for time! Stall for time! There's still a long way to go!


	9. With Violet Light

Chapter 8: With Violet Light

*********A Few Minutes Ago*********

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said with more of a sob than a whisper.

"And another thing, why the hell do you keep wearing winter gear in the middle of… Akamaru?" Kiba stopped his diatribe to Shino when his canine friend started growling then barking towards where Hinata was standing. "Hey, Akamaru, cut it out!" The dog refused to obey and ran towards the Hyuuga girl. Shino and Kiba followed closely. "What's gotten into you?" Kiba yelled at his dog.

"Kiba, look," Shino said. Kiba followed his teammate's gaze.

"What's this?" he asked to no one in particular. Hovering right in front of Hinata was a violet light source. Akamaru growled menacingly at the wisp.

"Aside from the color and sigil," Shino began, "this… it is identical to Naruto's ring." Kiba let his mouth hang when he too saw the glowing power ring with an eight-pointed, hollow star at its head.

"_Hyuuga Hinata of the planet Earth. You have great loss in your heart_."

"How do you know my name?" Hinata asked the ring after hearing its gentle, feminine voice echo in her mind.

"Hinata?" Shino asked her. "Is it talking to you?"

"Shino-kun, you can't hear it?"

"_Your comrades cannot hear us, Hyuuga Hinata. The pain your love gives you has summoned this ring to you, and only you_."

"My... love?" she questioned.

"Wha?" Kiba echoed. "You've got a crush?"

"_The growing void in your heart is like a beacon amidst the darkness, and it must not be extinguished_," the ring continued. "_This universe, too, needs soldiers to combat the darkness. A violet corps. You shall be the first of your Star Sapphires_."

"And you... are you like the green ring?" Hinata asked it. The warm light, intense yet inviting, occupied her full attention to the point that she no longer consciously recognized her teammates' presence.

"_Yes. The Zamarons have harnessed the violet light of love and refined it, and those that wield it willingly will gain powers like those of the Green Lantern Corps. Like Uzumaki Naruto_."

"Hinata... what is it saying to you?" Shino asked her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but as he did he felt the _Kikaichu_ inside him rustle. They could feel the immense power of the ring.

"I... I don't know if I..." Hinata doubted. The ring cut her off before she continued.

"_Your hesitation is understandable. You have battled with that same self-doubt your whole life. But we have seen what lies in the deepest reaches of your soul, and you have great potential_."

"But Naruto-kun," Hinata insisted. "He chose Sakura-san. What I feel doesn't matter anymore."

"_But you still love him_," the ring riposted. "_And a Star Sapphire never ignores what rests in the heart_."

"Hinata, snap out of it!" Kiba yelled. He reached for the ring to try and wake her from her stupor, but the instant he touched the ring a jolt of pain shot through his arm. "Gah!"

"Kiba-kun!" she yelled. Seeing her friend stagger finally broke her from her trance.

"_We are sorry_," the ring apologized, "_but unfortunately, love too has a dangerous component to it. That is why service to the Star Sapphires must be voluntary, so that the light can be wielded and not be blinding_."

"Then I refuse!" she told it defiantly. "I don't want any part with anything that hurts my friends!"

Shino wordlessly summoned his _Kikaichu_, which promptly rushed the ring. The first few insects touched it and began draining its energy, but after absorbing a single erg of power they suddenly flashed. Shino commanded his bugs to stop, but those that glowed fell to the ground, encased in small violet crystal shards.

"What is this?" Shino said. He called his insects back, yet a single queen remained close to the ring. One of the ones in heat. The ring ignored it and approached Hinata again.

"I said I don't want this power! Leave us alone!" she ordered it.

"_We cannot. Though you do not know it yet, the people you love need your help. Uzumaki Naruto, in particular, will need your help to combat the approaching darkness_."

"Approaching darkness?" she repeated.

"_There is a prophecy the Zamarons have deciphered. One that is already being fulfilled in our original realm. The forbidden scriptures predict the end of the universe. And all life shall be swallowed in darkness._"

The ring shone a bright light deep into Hinata's eyes. The Hyuuga heir saw as violet-tinted images flashed into her mind. Sights of battles across unfamiliar landscapes and star-lit voids filled her thoughts. The warriors, wielding rings tinged of various colors battled each other without reserve. The images flashed in and out, until one stayed on her mind for a slightly longer moment. Two human-like figures, flying with wings of obsidian pitch, erupted from a massive violet lantern-shaped crystal that was soon obliterated.

"_Zamaron, the homeworld of your sisters-to-be has already fallen, and you must help prevent the destruction of yours_."

At this, one final image seared itself into her mind. Naruto stood alone, battered and bloodied, surrounded by a growing mass of enemies that descended hungrily upon him. Hinata trembled as she saw the attackers' forms. The invading army was composed of withered husks, rotting carcasses, and mutilated corpses. This was the darkness's army. An army of the dead. The lone living ninja raised his ring high, but the dead encroaching upon him pointed their own obsidian rings at him. In an instant, all faded to black.

"Naruto-kun!"

As the words left her lips, Hinata found herself again in the Konoha alley, with Akamaru, Kiba, and Shino at her side, and the power ring in front of her.

"Hinata! Are you alright?" Kiba asked her. He gently gripped her by the shoulders and turned her away from the ring.

"He... he never stood a chance... none of us did..."

"What did you see, Hinata?" Shino said. Hinata turned to face him.

"I'm not sure," she answered. "A vision. A warning. Naruto-kun... he..." She swallowed the last word, not wanting to recall what the ring showed would be his ultimate fate.

"_We see what lies in the core of your heart_," the ring told her._ "You are willing to sacrifice everything for true love. And true love is threatened. Your true love_." The ring inched closer to the group and Hinata in particular, and when it spoke again, this time everyone was able to hear its voice. "_A choice now presents itself: turn away and let all you love fall into shadow, or embrace the light and allow the Star Sapphire to fill the hole of your broken heart so that love may continue to battle hate and fear across the universe_."

While Hinata gazed intently at the ring, Kiba and Shino stared at her. The sole queen _Kikaichu_ hovered close to the approaching ring.

"That must have been a hell of a warning," Kiba said. He then added, more seriously: "Hinata, what are you thinking right now?"

"I… I don't know," she answered. "I'm flattered, but…"

Shino addressed her next: "Hinata, from what I understand from Naruto, these rings do not make their choices lightly. But this ring is different from his. It feels dangerous, wild." Akamaru's growl reinforced Shino's point.

"But it needs me," she said. "Naruto-kun will need my help."

"For what?" Kiba asked her. "Just because it gave you a light-show means you'll blindly believe what it says?"

"Kiba-kun, it was more than just the vision," she told him. "The ring… what it said to me… it spoke to my heart." She took a step forward towards the violet ring. "There is a great evil approaching. Naruto-kun will have to face it. I can't… I won't let him do it alone."

"But…" Kiba protested, but the ring cut him off.

"_Which shall it be_?"

Hinata took another step forward. Kiba grabbed her by the arm and asked her: "Are you really going to risk yourself like that? Why? Just for Naruto?" Hinata turned and locked eyes with Kiba. The worry was evident on his face. Akamaru whined a little when she turned towards the dog. When she glanced at Shino, she saw more than just the cold, masked Aburame. Beneath his sunglasses she saw what he was thinking, what he understood, and what he knew. A simple nod from his part was all she needed to know she was right.

"For the three of you," she said. "For Kurenai-sensei. For Otou-sama, Hanabi-neechan, Neji-niisan. For all of Konoha. And Naruto-kun…" She turned to the ring once more, stepped forward, and raised her right hand to it. At that instant, her white pupils took a lavender tone, and the same star-shaped symbol appeared on her eyes. "I accept."

The ring zipped around Hinata erratically a few times, then slid itself onto her right middle finger.

"_Welcome, Star Sapphire_."

"GYAH!"

Pain shot throughout Hinata's body as violet crystal shards began to envelop her. "HINATA!" Kiba and Shino yelled. They both rushed at her, but the crystals kept growing. Only the queen _Kikaichu_ managed to reach her in time as it settled itself on Hinata's outstretched hand just as the thick crystal covered it completely. "HINATA!" Kiba yelled again as he banged the violet crystal. But as it glowed brighter, the Hyuuga heir's cries softened and died down. The crystal then began to crack, and both Shino and Kiba stepped back.

"Mmm…" Hinata moaned suddenly. Her prison construct then tore itself apart, sending shards flying throughout the alley. "YES!" she yelled as she emerged from her hard cocoon. Kiba, Shino and Akamaru were speechless when they saw her Lantern uniform. The tight, skimpy violet suit gave her a sultry appearance much unlike the shy girl they had known for years.

"How do you feel?" Shino asked her.

With a wide, warm smile, Hinata brought her hand up close to her face and examined the ring closely. "I feel…" Her smile suddenly wavered as the ring sparked a little. She grimaced, then she grabbed her right hand with her left one. "Wrong…"

"Hinata?" Kiba asked and took a step towards her.

"_Warning. Corruption detected_."

"No. Leave me alone! I can't…" Hinata backed off from her teammates, but they were undeterred. "Please! I can't… NO!"

Her ring suddenly flashed and shot out dozens of crystal shards. Suddenly a massive burst of light erupted forth and blinded the alley in violet light.

*********Now*********

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814._

_She is Hyuuga Hinata. A weird girl, but she's one of my trusted comrades, and a nice friend. She also happens to be chosen as a Lantern. A Star Sapphire._

_And she just asked me to kill her._

At first, Naruto stood silent, stunned by Hinata's request. "No way! Are you nuts? I'm not going to kill you over an accident!"

"I can't control it," Hinata sobbed. "Please, Naruto-kun. Hurry! I don't know... how long I can hold back!"

"Stop talking like that, Hinata!" Naruto shot back. "I'll take you back to Konoha, and together we'll help Kiba and Shino!"

"It's too late," she replied as she shook her head.

"Of course not! You can..."

"I can't!" she stopped him.

"Hinata..." Naruto took a tentative step forward.

"Stay back!" she ordered him. As she did, violet plant-like vines of light erupted from the violet ring. The tendrils grew and approached the Green Lantern. Naruto raised his own ring in defense. "Ngh!" With a grunt, Hinata clenched her fist and forced the tendrils back. The light obeyed her defiantly as the vines retracted, but it maintained its presence. "You have to end this, Naruto-kun! Please!"

"There's no way I'm gonna kill you!" he told her. He took another step towards the Star Sapphire. "Let me help you. I can teach you how to use the ring."

"Please, Naruto-kun..." she pleaded again. "It can't be controlled."

"Yes, it can! Don't doubt yourself, Hinata. Your will is its trigger." He finally reached her, and he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "I can help you. Trust me."

"Trust..." she whispered. She lowered her head, and for a moment her aura subsided. The light still dancing around her retreated back into the violet ring.

"Yeah, that's it," Naruto encouraged her. "Just focus on what you want it to do."

"What I want..." she repeated.

"_Warning. Corruption detected_," Naruto heard a female voice say.

"Huh? Is that your..." he started, but then Hinata's head shot up. Her white eyes suddenly blazed with violet fire dancing around the Star Sapphire insignia. She stared at Naruto with an uncharacteristic smile. The sight made Naruto rear back.

"I want YOU," Hinata said.

"_Warning. Emotional detonation imminent_." This time, Naruto recognized the voice of his own ring. Before he could say anything, Hinata erupted in blazing light. Naruto barely raised a tower shield in time to protect himself from the outburst. When the light subsided, he found that the same violet crystals from before now covered the front of his construct. He dismissed the shield and let Hinata's constructs clatter to the crater floor, but instantly Hinata rushed at him and gripped him in a tight embrace.

"Hinata! What're you doing?"

"Uzumaki Naruto. Body of desire. This is long overdue." Hinata then shot up into the sky together with Naruto.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked her as he struggled in vain to loosen himself from her unusually tight grip. "Is this what you were talki... mph!"

Naruto's thoughts halted momentarily when he felt Hinata's lips pressed against his own. It took him a second until his mind clicked and registered her kiss, and another until he felt a cold, hard crystal grow from their joined mouths. Ignoring the growing numbness on his face, Naruto summoned large pliers that quickly forced open the Star Sapphire's arms, while at the same time dozens of small green picks broke apart the crystal. Freed, Naruto quickly flew back from the Hyuuga heiress.

"You're not Hinata," he said.

"Do not ignore what the heart wants," the Star Sapphire replied.

"What have you done with Hinata!" Naruto yelled at her. Hesitantly but resolutely, he aimed his ring at the other Lantern.

"Hyuuga Hinata..." she intoned. "Her self-doubt and fear overcame what her heart wished to shout with all her might," she added, placing her hand over the left side of her chest. "But I'm going to help her. No longer will her heart be silenced."

"I don't care for your babbling!" Naruto countered. "Let Hinata go, NOW!"

"Not until love is fulfilled. Not until life is protected from hate and fear and preserved in love," she answered. Naruto saw the veins next to her eyes dilate and her eyes sharpen. Though still violet and overlapped by the symbol of the Star Sapphires, he recognized the tell-tale signs of her special _Byakugan_ ability activating. "And you will help me," she finished as she extended her hand in invitation towards Naruto.

"Like hell!" Casting all hesitation aside, Naruto shot two beams that surrounded and entangled Hinata like tight ropes.

"You will not resist me, Naruto-kun!" she said. Her whole body began to glow with an intense violet tinge, and as it intensified Naruto's constructs vanished.

"Dammi..."

"LOVE CONQUERS ALL!"

Hinata disappeared as a brilliant violet explosion erupted from her entire form, engulfing the surrounding area. Naruto immediately summoned a suit of armor for himself and braced as the energy of the Star Sapphire ring slammed into him. As the armor slowly peeled away, he heard a loud screech echo all over their location. The armor barely held together, but it was enough to protect the Green Lantern until the violet light subsided. Wasting no time, Naruto projected a thick foam-like construct at his former comrade. The gel splattered the Star Sapphire and hardened, until the construct turned into a tough rubberlike sealant.

"This will not hold me, Naruto-kun," Hinata stated as yet more vines grew out of her ring. Her constructs burst out of her prison, then twisted back and enveloped the green apparition. The plantlike violet tendrils absorbed Naruto's attack and, as if using it like nutrient-rich feed, grew into a large forest of spiky vines.

"Whoa!" Naruto dodged sideways when two tendrils rushed past him. The rest followed soon in a storm of light and malleable crystal. Naruto whizzed through the small openings within the attack and rushed at Hinata. "_Kage Bunshin no jutsu_!" Eleven clones and Naruto, all powered by the Green Lantern ring, flew at the Star Sapphire from different angles. In response, Hinata drew back her vines and aimed at her attackers. Some of the plants managed to reach a few clones, and those that it caught disappeared in a puff of green-tinged smoke. Two clones managed to reach Hinata, and each grabbed one of her arms and held her tight. Naruto approached her directly. He quickly created a thick gauntlet to cover his left hand.

"I hope this doesn't hurt you, Hinata," he said. With the clones still gripping her and the remaining violet constructs homing in from behind, Naruto gripped the Star Sapphire ring with his gloved hand. Jade and amethyst sparks flew out from the point of contact, and the remaining constructs, both Naruto's and Hinata's, dissolved into nothingness.

"GAH!" they both screamed. A torrent of violet energy shocked through both of their bodies. Naruto let go of Hinata from the pain, and in that moment she recovered.

"Life must be preserved!" she yelled. In a single motion, she twisted her wrists and tapped the two clones with her index and middle fingers. Despite the gentle touch, the clones dissipated. Hinata crouched in midair, elevated her left arm behind her and lowered her right one in front of her. "_Juuken-ho. Murasaki Hakke, Rokujuyon Sho_!"

"That's Neji's…" Naruto stammered, recognizing the Hyuuga clan's most difficult and deadly technique. "When did she…" but before he could finish, the Star Sapphire rushed him.

"_Hakke ni sho_!" Hinata tagged Naruto with two hits to his chest.

"GWAGH!"

"_Yon sho! Hachi sho! Juroku sho!_" Hinata, displaying a mastery of the technique almost rivaling Neji's, relentlessly pounded Naruto with the chakra-debilitating attack. Enhanced by the violet ring, each strike sent torrents of unstable energy throughout his body. "_Sanjuni sho_!" By the thirty-second strike, the Star Sapphire power was so focused and melded with Hinata's chakra that it had tipped her fingers with sharp crystal coverings. Each subsequent strike not only debilitated Naruto's tenketsu, but also stabbed him viciously. Naruto began coughing out blood by the time Hinata delivered her second to last strike. "_ROKUJUYON SHO_!" The final strike with her palms landed square on Naruto's heart, and a great crystal construct rose from it to encase him in an eternal prison.

"Na… Naruto…kun?" Hinata whispered. As gravity began to take hold of the crystal, the girl trembled at the sight of Naruto, his uniform drenched in blood, lying absolutely still inside the construct of her making.

She gasped when the figure inside the free-falling crystal disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Shadow clone?" she gasped, half surprised and at the same time half relieved.

"Hinata… forgive me…" she heard above her. The Star Sapphire turned to see the real Naruto descending fast from the skies above. The last of the clones, with the help of the green ring, formed a concentrated spinning sphere of emerald light on his right hand. The final clone disappeared, and the remaining Green Lantern reared back with his attack as he quickly approached Hinata's position. "_Midori_ _Rasengan_!"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered. Instead of attacking, she hovered perfectly still. As Naruto closed in, she opened her arms, welcoming the attack.

"Hinata?"

"Do what you must…" She closed her eyes and waited for the _Rasengan_ to hit. Defenseless, she knew it would kill her. Naruto realized it too.

"NO!" At the last second, Naruto threw his arm sideways and spared the Star Sapphire the brunt of the attack, but he was unable to move out of the way in time. The Green Lantern crashed with his opponent, sending them both sprawling from the heavens down to the earth below. Naruto's _Rasengan_ destabilized and exploded outward, and the violent dispersion of chakra and willpower jetted him even faster. Naruto crashed hard onto the crystal forest floor, with Hinata landing softer some yards away.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata slowly floated over to her fallen companion. Her aura was dimmer than before, but was slowly regaining its glow. She landed and crouched in front of Naruto, who lay flat on the broken ground.

"Hina… ta…" Naruto muttered, drifting close to unconsciousness. Hinata reached out and almost caressed the growing bump on his head, but stopped short when her aura intensified.

"Why?" she asked him. "Why can't you do it? You saw what I did. I…"

"It's… not your fault," Naruto said, slowly recovering his senses.

"It's only a matter of time," she sobbed. She struggled to hold back her tears. Reaching down, she took Naruto's right hand and aimed his ring at her own heart. "Please, Naruto-kun! Don't let me harm anyone else! Protect Konoha! Protect yourself! Protect…" she stopped for a second, then finished with: "protect everything I love."

"How can I protect myself or Konoha by killing you?" he answered back, shaking his head lightly. "I already failed Sasuke… I could never live if I gave up on someone else I care about!" Hinata gasped when the last words escaped Naruto's lips. With strained effort, Naruto sat upright and locked eyes with Hinata. "I'll save you too. I have to. I will not fail anyone else ever again, even if I have to die. Hinata… I will never abandon you or any of my comrades."

Hinata did not say anything. The tears that flowed freely down her face told all. The light surrounding her brightened, but it did not dance wildly around her. For the moment, it remained still, calm and serene. She gently moved Naruto's arm away from her and laid it down to his side.

"Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you, Naruto-kun." As her aura intensified further and gradually began to churn, Hinata stood up. "At least… I can be at peace… knowing that you believe in me." Hinata took a deep breath, and then slowly raised her own ring below her chin. "Until the very end."

"Hinata? Are you…"

"I must… I will protect all that I love," she said as her ring began to shine brighter, "even from myself."

"Don't be stupid!" Naruto shot out, just as a dense, brilliant dot of light emerged at the top of the Star Sapphire ring.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun. I…"

The Star Sapphire took one final breath. The Green Lantern aimed his own ring.

"HINATAAAAA!"

* * *

Author's blurb: I hate cliffhangers as much as you do, but I'm confident this situation will be resolved soon. Originally this was the first half of the next submission, but it grew so big I decided to split it up into two. The next part is almost done and will hopefully be released soon after this one.

* * *

Given that it's Thanksgiving, I should say thank you to all you readers and reviewers who like this story and give me the encouragement to continue. May you all have a happy Thanksgiving and, of course, stuff yourselves silly with turkey!


	10. Formorrow Sur

Chapter 9: Formorrow Sur

"Are you certain there's nothing we can do, Sakura?" Shizune asked her fellow medic.

"Regretfully, no," Sakura told her from her seat. While Shizune vainly tried to use another of her myriad medical jutsus to break Kiba out of his imprisoning crystal, Sakura meticulously examined every millimeter of another, smaller piece of Star Sapphire crystal under a microscope. This one trapped one of Shino's insects. "See for yourself."

Sakura moved out of her seat to let Shizune check the violet construct for herself. In turn, Sakura moved to follow up on the still trapped Kiba and Shino, who lay perfectly still on two beds side by side. Akamaru lay in a corner next to its master and friend, ignoring his own encased leg. The Hokage's primary apprentice studied the crystal just as exhaustively as her colleague. "It's incredible," she said. "I don't see any structure to this crystal at all. If I weren't touching it, I'd say it was just light. And the _kikaichu_…"

"So you noticed too."

"It's perfectly preserved, even more so than if it were frozen," Shizune continued.

"The construct is keeping it… keeping them all in stasis," Sakura said while she gently stroked Akamaru. "I can only presume that it's just like Naruto's own green constructs: coalesced, controlled light made solid by some means that we're nowhere close to understanding."

"But why are these constructs not disappearing, unlike Naruto-kun's own?" Shizune asked.

"Maybe each power ring works differently, and the violet light has a more permanent presence," Sakura answered.

"I sincerely hope not. Personally, I don't even know where to start treatment." Akamaru whined, clearly understanding Shizune's feeling. "It'll be alright, boy," she said while Sakura stroked its fur compassionately. "We're not going to give up."

"The Star Sapphire will know how to cure them," Sakura commented. "And I trust Naruto will bring him back." The young nurse glanced out the window and towards the setting sun. Naruto was taking longer than she had expected to return. Had the other Lantern defeated him instead, she thought to herself. For an instant, Sakura imagined Naruto also laying on one of the hospital beds, and shivered at the sight of him imprisoned in another violet crystal.

Her fear vanished when, from the corner of her eye, she spied a green speck of light that grew larger and streaked towards the hospital. "He's back!" Sakura yelled to Shizune. She and Akamaru turned towards the former quickly, but before Shizune could ask anything, Sakura had already bolted out of the room.

The pink-haired ninja soon reached the main lobby of the hospital. A masked Naruto, still in his Green Lantern uniform, was holding another uniformed person in his arms. Various patients and nurses were already approaching him as he hunched over and began breathing heavily. Sakura rushed over, caught Naruto up, and bore some of the other Lantern's weight.

"I got you," she told him. Turning to the awestruck nurses, she ordered: "I need two carts over here, stat!" Her colleagues immediately rushed to obey her. Sakura then turned to her friend again, but when she caught her first sight of the Star Sapphire, she almost lost her grip on them both. "It can't be... Hin..." She stopped when she noticed Naruto's knowing, pleading face looking at her directly. She understood, and did not finish.

"Sakura! Here!" Shizune and another nurse arrived just then and approached the three. While Sakura wordlessly helped place Hinata on the first cot, Naruto struggled but managed to cover her face with a simple cloth-like construct. It was too late to prevent Shizune from recognizing her, but the Hokage's assistant understood his intent and so suppressed her own surprise as well.

"You too," Sakura told Naruto, deliberately not saying his name due to the other people close by.

"I'm fine," he protested, "but she..."

"Like hell you are," Sakura countered. She placed a hand on his forehead and passed it over the large bump on his temple. "You have a concussion and are low on chakra."

"We'll take care of her, I promise," Shizune reassured him. "So please, listen to Sakura."

"O...k..." And with that, Naruto collapsed unconscious onto the cart.

* * *

"How are they?" Kakashi asked Sakura as she stepped out of the secluded room in the Intensive Care unit.

"Naruto's sleeping. He had a concussion and a few bruised muscles but he'll be alright soon. But Hinata..." she hesitated. Kurenai Yuhi tightened her fist, expecting grave news. "I can't remove her ring. Every time I try, it emits powerful shocks that repel anything it touches. When I used tools, holding it for more than an instant crystallized whatever I used."

Kakashi and Sai, who were accompanying Sakura while Shizune briefed Tsunade, waited to see if Kurenai had anything to say. Hinata's teacher swallowed hard. "All three of them..."

"Don't blame yourself, Kurenai," Kakashi quickly said.

"I don't," the older female ninja answered him. "And strangely enough, I don't blame the violet ring, either."

"What did Naruto say about its powers?" Sai asked.

"Not much else than what Shizune and I deduced from examining the remaining constructs," Sakura answered. "The constructs it can generate are similar to Naruto's, except longer-lasting. But also..."

"Also what?" Kakashi inquired.

"He said Hinata seemed to be fighting against using it. When she did tap its power, it's as if she was another person entirely."

"Could it be a side-effect from the ring?" Sai asked.

"Maybe," is all Sakura could offer. "Though that would be different from the lack of those effects on Naruto's and even Itachi's rings. We won't know for certain until we can ask Hinata."

"Do you know when she will wake up?" Kakashi asked next.

Sakura sighed before she answered her sensei: "I can't say for certain. It may be a few hours, or a few days."

"If at all."

"Sai!"

"My apologies, Kakashi-sensei. I did not intend any doubt on Sakura's judgment, but it is a possibility," Sai explained. "If Hyuuga Hinata was fighting against the ring's second personality, she may be fighting it still. Perhaps she is forcing herself unconscious. To protect everyone from herself. Hence, if her ring cannot be removed, she may fight against the ring's influence forever."

"And if she loses..."

"She won't," Kurenai cut off Kakashi. "I know Hinata better than most. Beneath her shy, introverted exterior lies an extremely capable shinobi. No matter how long it takes her, she will win." Kurenai glanced sideways towards the room. "All we need to do is wait." As if expecting Kurenai's words to be fulfilled soon, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai followed her gaze towards the room where her students plus Naruto lay under care.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" Naruto's voice boomed from within. The four ninjas wasted no time and dashed into the room. Inside, Naruto, out of his bed, was holding Hinata behind him, protected inside one of his spheres. Despite the ruckus, Akamaru was sound asleep, thanks to a small dart that poked out of the corner of his neck. On the opposite end, a masked ANBU lay collapsed on the back of the room in front of an open window. Naruto's ring was aimed directly at the covert ops agent.

"What happened?" Sakura asked Naruto. She took a step towards him, but stopped short when four other ANBU units materialized next to their fallen comrade.

"More of you bastards?" Naruto yelled at the ANBU unit.

"Move away from the Hyuuga girl, Uzumaki Naruto," one of the men ordered him. Two others helped the first one up.

"What do you want with Hyuuga Hinata?" Kurenai forcefully asked the five spies.

"We have our orders," the hawk-faced ANBU shot back sharply.

"I don't care who's pulling your strings, but you're not taking Hinata!" Naruto yelled back. The five ANBU units bent their knees slightly. At this, Sakura raised her fists, Kurenai brought her hands together into a seal, and Kakashi raised the forehead protector from his left _Sharingan_ eye. Only Sai did not react.

"I thought so," Kakashi said, keeping his _Sharingan _aimed at the five ANBU but glancing sideways towards Sai. "You're with Root." The five attacking ninjas remained still, but Kakashi's allies grunted.

"You're certain of this?" Kurenai asked him.

"There's a reason Sai refuses to raise a hand against them," the copy ninja posited. Sai looked towards the others and met eyes with Sakura.

"Sai? How could you..." If he felt something from her stunned stare, his face did not betray it.

"You bastard!" Naruto shot. "I should've known better than..."

"Look out!" Kurenai warned them all. In the distraction, the ANBU dashed towards Naruto. The five made different seals in their hands, but before either they or their opponents could react, Naruto gave life to his thoughts first. Before any jutsu or attack could commence, five green foxes emerged from the emerald ring, slammed into the five ANBU, and pinned them against the opposite wall. While he still kept Hinata protected inside a bubble-like construct, the Green Lantern stood up and menacingly approached his enemies.

"Hyuuga Hinata is a fellow ninja of Konoha," he spat at the five. "You jerks will treat her as such!"

"Naruto..." Sakura whispered. Even with his back turned to them, Sakura knew her teammate well enough to know that there was more than just his willpower spilling forth from the ring. There was a deep anger and hatred boiling in his voice.

"A Konoha ninja does not attack fellow ninjas," the same hawk-faced ANBU retorted. "Something you should know very well, Uzumaki Naruto. Or have you forgotten Uchiha Sasuke?" The fox construct holding him roared and slashed at his mask. The eagle-shaped cover cracked but held firm, while its owner grunted from the strike. From behind, Kakashi began to notice faint orange-red blotches mix with Naruto's green aura.

"DON'T... MENTION... SASUKE!" he screamed between grit teeth.

"And a true Konoha ninja knows how to follow orders," the ANBU said. "Ours come from the highest authority. If you defy us, you defy Konoha, and will be a traitor."

"There's no way the elders would say something like that!" Kurenai said.

"I will say this one last time, Uzumaki. Relinquish Hyuuga Hinata, or suffer the consequences."

"If this is what Konoha's leaders want, then to hell with them!" Naruto swore. "I am not just a Konoha ninja. I am the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. And as such, Hyuuga Hinata, Star Sapphire, falls under MY jurisdiction!" The green ring shone brighter, the five fox constructs opened their jaws to bite the helpless ANBU, and larger blotches of orange chakra began to taint the emerald aura surrounding him. "If you so much as touch her, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"_Warning. Power corrupted. Power levels 21%_."

"Gh!" The mixture of orange chakra and green willpower twisted wildly around Naruto. He clasped his head as it pounded with every heartbeat.

"This is bad!" Kakashi said. "The Kyuubi's chakra is draining his ring!" The five fox constructs churned and twisted, until they vanished into thin air. The one around Hinata held together but the light of the sphere dimmed noticeably. At once, the five ANBU rushed towards the helpless Lanterns.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. The ANBU were upon Naruto and Hinata.

"_Hakke_!" two voices cried out in unison. Two new ninjas burst from behind Naruto's comrades and slammed their palms on the four ANBU beside the hawk-faced one. As one, they then tagged the leader with their index and middle fingers on four different _tenketsu_. All five ANBU collapsed on their knees in front of Naruto and his two protectors.

"Neji? Hanabi?" Kurenai said bewildered.

"Leave my sister alone!" the younger Hyuuga girl ordered the masked ninjas. The talented Hyuuga heiress stood to the right of her cousin Neji, who was still in his hospital robes.

"Neji! You're still recovering from Itachi's attack!" Sakura scolded him.

"I'm well enough for this," the young Jounin answered. The patches on both sides of his neck were slightly stained red, but not enough to cause Sakura lasting concern.

"Despite your protests," the ANBU leader said with some effort, "you cannot overturn Danzou-sama's orders."

"Maybe they can't. But I certainly can," one more voice echoed from behind Kakashi. He and Kurenai turned, then immediately stepped out of the way of the newest arrival. Everyone in the room instantly recognized the tall, long-haired man dressed in a traditional kimono that walked in almost casually. Despite his apparently calm attitude, his active _Byakugan_ proved otherwise. With some difficulty, Naruto stepped out of his way and let him stand in front of the hawk-faced enemy.

"Hiashi-sama?" the lead ANBU stuttered. The Hyuuga clan's head stared down to the one who threatened Hinata. Despite the fully circular vision his bloodline limit allowed him, Hiashi's focus was centered squarely on the ninja in front of him.

"Leave. Now. If your master objects, I shall accommodate him. Personally." Though his command was simple, the tone of his voice did not hide an implicit threat toward the five and to the one who sent them on their capture mission.

The other four ANBU looked towards their leader. After staying silent for a few seconds, he bowed his head ever so slightly, and all five ANBU disappeared. Everyone in the room breathed deep and lowered their attack stances. Kakashi held Naruto in case he had any side-effects from the Kyuubi chakra leaking, and Sakura helped Neji to a nearby chair as a precaution.

"Why is Hiashi-sama here?" Sakura asked Neji.

"Otou-san and I were visiting Neji-niisan," Hanabi explained. "When we heard Naruto yell we thought he was overreacting, but then otou-san saw what was happening."

"I should note, I did not know of any of..." Sai began, but Naruto interrupted him.

"Get out," was all he said. Sai wanted to protest, but again the same pain in his heart as before returned with a vengeance. Worse yet, the malignancy multiplied at the sight of the other ninjas' accusing stares. Without saying a word, Sai turned and stepped out of the room.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Hiashi addressed the Green Lantern. Despite a slight grogginess, Naruto stood up straight without Kakashi's help. The clan head turned towards the Green Lantern. "It is my understanding that you brought back Hinata safely?"

"I'm sorry, sir," he answered. "I had to stun her."

"You saved her," Hiashi said. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "And for that, you have my gratitude." Naruto hesitated for a bit, but then relented and gave Hinata's father a weak smile. He stood back and gently hovered the still-unconscious Star Sapphire onto her father's waiting arms. Wordlessly, Hiashi carried Hinata back to her bed and gently laid her down. "If I may have a moment with my daughter?" None of the others said a word. While Neji remained on his chair and Hanabi approached her family, Naruto, Kurenai, Sakura, and Kakashi stepped out of the room. Naruto, the last one to exit, glanced behind him momentarily. The last thing he saw before he closed the door behind him was Hanabi gripping Hinata's left arm and Hiashi placing his hand over Hinata's forehead.

_

* * *

My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814. And for the first time since it happened, I curse the day I got this ring._

Two days passed since ANBU Root's attempt to take Hinata. Kakashi and Kurenai had immediately briefed Tsunade regarding what had happened, and she promised to redouble security around the Intensive Care ward while they all waited for the Star Sapphire's recovery. Two of her hand-picked ANBU, both members of the Hyuuga clan, remained outside at all times, while others placed special sentry ward jutsus on the windows. Such measures had not yet been needed, but the Hokage and the clan preferred to side with caution.

The afternoon mirrored Naruto's mood. Rain clouds had covered the village around noon, and soon after they opened up with an ongoing downpour occasionally accompanied by flashes of lightning. But Naruto paid no attention to the outside storm, instead his attention was centered solely on the bed to his right, where Hinata lay motionless except for weak, shallow breaths.

"Pay attention, dammit!" Sakura yelled at him. She had come in some time earlier to visit.

"Huh?"

"You haven't touched your food for the past day!" she told him, pointing at two covered trays on the nightstand next to his bed.

"...I'm not hungry," he said, still keeping his sights on the sleeping figure.

"You have to eat, Naruto," Sakura scolded him, though this time her tone was more subdued. "You're never going to properly regain your strength otherwise, much less recharge your ring." Naruto turned away from Hinata and stared at the green ring. When he continued his silence, Sakura took the lunch tray from the nightstand while she spoke. "Remember what Kurenai-sensei told us. Hinata's a fighter. And she's fighting against the ring's influence now. I'm sure that no matter how long it takes her she'll..."

"She wanted me to kill her."

If Naruto's sudden interruption surprised Sakura, the nature of his message caused her to drop the tray and spill its contents all over the floor. "She.. what?"

"She begged me to kill her, so she wouldn't hurt anyone. When I couldn't..." he said, as he moved his sight back towards her, "she tried to kill herself."

"But... why didn't you tell me? You said she was fighting its influence."

"She was," he answered. "And she was losing. She regained her senses for a moment, and if I hadn't stopped her, she wouldn't be here now. She doesn't want to wake up. She wants to die, and take that other Hinata with her." Naruto glanced back at Sakura, then gestured his head towards Hinata. "You're the medic. Just look at her. Her breathing's been shallowing out for hours. Her pulse is likely weaker too." At this, Sakura sped towards the Star Sapphire and placed two fingers on the side of her neck. Naruto knew he as right when the medic-nin slowly retracted her hand.

Sakura was short on words. She knew the quality of Konoha's Jounin, so she did not doubt Kurenai's assertion of Hinata's strengths, even if they were hidden. But she knew Naruto very well, too, and the only times he was so depressed was regarding Sasuke. Not to mention, the medical evidence was not indicating a good prognosis.

"Still think she's gonna get better?" he said with more bitterness than he intended. For a moment he thought Sakura would clobber him, but he was not surprised when she held back.

"I'll tell Tsunade-sama and ask for her help. We'll be back soon," was all she said. Hesitantly avoiding Naruto's gaze, Sakura stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Naruto waited wordlessly for some time, how much exactly he did not know. Akamaru crawled to his side, dragging its crystallized leg carefully so as to not shatter it. Despite being so close to the spilled food, the canine ignored it just like Naruto.

"You're worried about them all, aren't you, boy?" he finally whispered to it. Kiba's companion whined and nuzzled its nose against Naruto's right hand. The blonde boy lightly scratched Akamaru's neck. "So am I." In response, the dog raised its free paw and curled it over Naruto's arm.

The two remained quiet for some more time, each one comforting the other in their worries about their comrades. Naruto stopped scratching Akamaru and settled for keeping his hand on its head, while the canine held its paw on the Lantern's left arm. Though Akamaru's gaze shifted equally between Shino, Kiba, and Hinata, Naruto's was squarely placed on the Star Sapphire's.

"Have you really given up?" he asked her. "Are you so resigned to..." he swallowed hard and held back the last word.

Akamaru's head suddenly perked up and shot towards the Star Sapphire. The dog let go of Naruto and dragged itself to Hinata's side, not caring for the construct in its leg starting to crack under the strain. "Hold up! What's wrong boy?" Naruto called after it. With a little effort he got up from his bed and leaned close to the unconscious girl. He could no longer hear her shallow breaths.

"Hinata?" Naruto placed his hand over her mouth.

He felt no air massage his hand.

"She's not breathing!" The young Lantern awkwardly repeated Sakura's earlier test. He placed his right index and middle fingers on various places on her neck. He knew little about medicine, but just enough to know how to look for even a weak pulse.

Nothing.

"Don't you dare!" he yelled at her. "Don't you give up!" He remembered enough of ninja emergency triage to know how to perform basic resuscitation, so after a moment's hesitation in which all awkward or perverted thoughts were immediately discarded, he placed her hand on her semi-bare chest and began pumping rhythmically. After fifteen repetitions, he opened her mouth, took a deep breath, and then pressed his own against hers and gave her his air without pause.

"Breathe, Hinata! BREATHE!"

Another repetition. Nothing.

"Breathe, dammit!"

Fifteen presses and two breaths. Nothing.

"NO!"

Again. Nothing.

"Live, Hinata!" As a last ditch gamble, he pressed the green ring on top of her heart, while his left hand grasped hers and pulled. "LIVE!" The green ring poured its power into her. The violet ring erupted.

"_Love. Corruption detected._"

"_Will. Emotional detonation imminent._"

"_**Rkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkrkr**_."

* * *

"You're so stupid, Naruto," Sakura said. "She's still alive, but that was still stupid." Naruto lay in bed and said nothing. "You knew the risks her ring posed, and you still touched it. Why?" Naruto still said nothing. "Why did you endanger yourself like that?" She sat on his bed and caressed his forehead, feeling the gentle warmth of his skin and the cold roughness of the crystal growing on it. "Why did you have to leave me alone?"

While she had been asking for Tsunade's help, one of the ANBU guards from he hospital burst in and mentioned the growing noise in the room. He told them how they saw Naruto pouring his green energy onto the Star Sapphire, even as her own ring's light enveloped and danced wildly around him. The power was too much for any of even their advanced jutsus, so one of them stayed to monitor the situation while the other notified the Hokage. When Sakura, Shizune and Tsunade reached the room, Akamaru was holding the unconscious Naruto over its back. Hinata was still alive, but Naruto had crystal shards all over his body. The ring's overloading power had consumed him, and over the last few hours the shards had grown into thicker crystals. The nurses removed his infected clothing, though this only delayed the spread. A further check revealed the crystals were growing both outside and inside him.

Naruto, now with crystals growing all over his naked body and covered only by a simple hospital bedsheet, was dying.

"You promised me," she said. "You promised me we'd bring back Sasuke together. You're not going to break that promise, are you?" There was no response to her question. Sakura fell silent for some time.

"You know, this reminds me of our very first mission," she started again, this time bringing herself to produce a weak smile. "That was almost three years ago. It's hard to imagine how fast time goes by, isn't it?" As with her last question, Naruto said nothing. Sakura stretched out her hand and placed it on his cheek. "You're getting colder. And the look of these constructs. You look and feel just like Sasuke three years ago." Sakura had to stop to control the growing lump on her throat. "When I saw him lying there, motionless, embedded with so many of Haku's needles, it was as if my heart were being crushed in a twisting grip. That was the first time I broke Shinobi Saying number Twenty-Five. You must possess a heart that never shows tears." She let go of Naruto and raised her sight up and away from him. "When Sasuke woke up, I broke it again out of happiness. Since then, I've lost count of how many times I've cried. I couldn't keep control of my heart. Do you think that makes me a bad shinobi?" she asked him, not expecting an answer. "After Sasuke left... after you returned and promised me you'd drag him back if you had to... that was the last time I cried. I stopped crying, strengthened my heart and my skills, and I swore to you we'd bring him back together. That the three of us would be one team again. And I..." she sniffed once. "I wouldn't be alone again." Sakura sniffed again, and the lump in her throat tightened further. "But Sasuke's still gone, and now you..." She brought her hand up to her face and gently touched a single tear that streamed down. "I guess... I wasn't strong enough."

Suddenly, Sakura sharply turned towards Naruto and crossed her arms over him, ignoring the pain of the crystals poking onto her skin. She dug her face in and let the tears flow freely. Her sobs echoed throughout the room, rousing a sleeping Akamaru from its slumber. "I can't bear it! You can't die, Naruto! You promised! You promised we'd be together again! So please! Wake up!" Kiba's faithful companion could do little except whine, fully comprehending Sakura's feelings. "You always beat the odds! You always overcome all your challenges! So don't give up! Don't just lie down and die! Don't..." Sakura's yells stopped for a moment, and then she added as a mere whisper: "don't leave me alone."

The door to the intensive care room opened, and the Hokage strode in. She placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and said: "Sakura, let's go."

"I won't leave him," she defied her sensei.

"We're not giving up on any of them," Tsunade told her. "I'm leading the entire research team myself. I could use your help." After a few seconds, Sakura hesitantly stood up and followed Tsunade out.

"I'll do my best," she said to Naruto, "so don't give up yet. Use that will of yours that led the green ring to you. Stay alive." With that, Sakura closed the door behind her.

* * *

"I don't know what to say," Sai whispered. It took all of his Root training, but he managed to sneak into the intensive care ward, avoid detection by the ANBU guards and all their protection jutsus, and place a sound barrier jutsu around the room once he was inside. "I knew I had to see you, but now that I'm here, I don't know what to do."

Sai just stared at Naruto, and at the crystals that now covered half of his body mass. His left arm was completely entombed, and the cancerous constructs had spread to both his legs, back, and large patches of his front torso. Random violet shards jutted out of his face and forehead. Only his lower right arm, bathed in the soft, waning emerald glow of his own ring, remained untouched by the Star Sapphire's attack.

"I suppose I should start by admitting something. Something that, although I cannot understand it, has caused me physical discomfort." Sai averted his sight away from Naruto for a second. "I truly had no idea the five would attempt to abduct Hyuuga Hinata. But I most confess: I..." he hesitated, "I was to spy on you, Green Lantern." He grabbed his chest. "When I was given the order, and when I accepted it, an unknown malady struck me. I feel pain where none was before whenever I was given similar orders. My chest tightens, as if an enemy were reaching in and compressing my heart." Still avoiding looking at Naruto, Sai reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a thin pamphlet. "I copied down something I read in a book. It was about making friends, and what not to do to them. When a friend is betrayed, or you do something behind his back, it says that if a true bond has been established, then one might feel an emotion called regret, caused by another negative feeling of guilt." Now Sai turned and faced Naruto directly. "Perhaps the word is appropriate. I am guilty." He paused for a second, then skimmed through his pamphlet again before addressing the comatose boy. "I found that between friends, the way for a guilty party to repair the strained bond is to apologize. But if I am following orders, orders from my superiors for the good of Konoha, is it appropriate to apologize? Must duty overcome friendship?" He did not really expect an answer from Naruto, but he waited for one nonetheless. "You of all ninjas would know much about this, given your bond with Uchiha Sasuke and his betrayal. I wonder, is the way I feel now similar to the way he or you feel about each other?" Once more, he waited fruitlessly for Naruto to speak.

Sai hung his head after a while. "I suppose I may never know now."

"_Such questions cannot receive answers so easily_," a soft yet monotone voice echoed. Startled from the sudden sound, Sai gripped the _Tanto_ sheathed on his back and glanced around.

"Who's there?"

"_Sai of the planet Earth. Despite your harsh training, you are not devoid of empathy_."

Sai continued to scan for the voice's source. There was nobody around, and the Inuzuka dog was still asleep thanks to the harmless jutsu Sai had used on it when he first came in. As he turned, he noticed the green ring was glowing slightly brighter.

"This is... the voice of the ring's sentience?"

"_Affirmative_."

At this, Sai let go of his weapon and knelt close to Naruto's right hand, where the green ring illuminated his face with its soft emerald light. "You know my thoughts?"

"_And your feelings. You feel remorse and guilt for betraying your friend, despite following your orders. This is normal. But your doubts cannot be answered with mere words, or with simple actions. Emotions, just as life itself, are complex, hard to grasp, and sometimes contradictory_."

Sai pondered on the ring's words for some time before he answered it: "For my whole life, my orders were to ignore emotion. I am only a weapon in the service of Konoha."

"_Yet despite not feeling them yourself, you seek to understand emotions in others. You were taught to use that knowledge to manipulate your opponents. But to experience and come to terms with them can be difficult_."

"This pain in my chest, then," he asked the ring, "am I damned to live with it forever, if Naruto passes away without my remorse? Should I simply kill my emotions completely and be rid of them?"

"_Uzumaki Naruto need not die_," he heard. "_Nor do you need to bear this pain forever. But your training to abandon emotion is not the way. Without it, life withers into darkness. We implore you, Sai, not to fall into the maw of the black abyss. Do not be ashamed of your fledgling emotions. That is not the way to save Uzumaki Naruto and your comrades from uncontrolled love._"

"Can you help Naruto?" Sai asked it.

"_Yes. But not directly_."

"Then tell me what you need," Sai volunteered. He took Naruto's right hand and held the jade ring close to him. "Tell me what I need to do."

"_You presume incorrectly that it is the Green Lantern ring that speaks to you_."

"Huh?" he asked quizzically. "If not you, then what..." From where there was nothing before, a soft, purplish glow above him interrupted his thoughts.

"_Sai of the planet Earth. You have the ability to feel great compassion_."

Sai glanced up and gasped when he saw a dancing indigo light shining just above him. Inside lay a ring just like Naruto's and Hinata's, but its symbol was a simple circle with two arrowheads just outside of it, one pointing up and the other one down. The purple-hued ring zipped straight towards Sai and slid itself cleanly onto his right middle finger. At once, his eyes lit up with the ring's symbol.

"_Welcome to the Indigo Tribe_."

"Nok."

* * *

This time, there was no need for Sakura and Tsunade to wait for the ANBU guards' message. The bright light that shone out of Naruto's room was visible all the way from the Hokage's office. The two medic ninjas, plus Shizune, dashed right through the window. The trap jutsus triggered, but they were all instantly dispelled. For a second Sakura thought it was the work of the two ANBU, who stood on the opposite end of the room just past the door. But upon seeing the outstretched hand of the ward's newest occupant, she immediately knew it was his doing.

"Sai?"

"Greetings, Haruno Sakura." The black-haired ANBU Root elite hovered in the middle of the room, engulfed in a wispy, slow-moving cloud of indigo light. Sai's clothing was replaced with short leather pants and a simple sleeveless, open cloth jacket. The sides of his lower legs and upper arms now held tattoos shaped just like the symbol that lay inscribed in a large medallion tied to a metal collar on his neck. His left hand held a long staff built out of what seemed to be wood and coral, with a large, open pod that shone brilliantly from the inside. His forehead protector was gone, replaced by a simple cloth bandanna with the same tattoo symbol sewn onto it. Finally, just like Naruto and Hinata, Sai wore a shining indigo-colored ring on his right middle finger.

"Back away from them, Sai!" Tsunade ordered the new Lantern.

"There is no need for hostility, Tsunade-sama," Sai calmly answered her. Despite how his eyes were closed, he turned his head to face the Hokage, Shizune, and Sakura. "Your concern for the wellbeing of these five life-forms is justified. I share your resolve to save them."

"You... you can save them?" Shizune asked him.

"The ring of the Indigo Tribe allows me to understand fundamental knowledge hidden to others when it is necessary. The malady that is afflicting these five is not of the Star Sapphire's own doing, nor is it her ring's." Still not opening his eyelids, he shifted his empty gaze towards the sleeping female Lantern. "Hyuuga Hinata... she fights against its influence, but the power of love, so far from the center of the spectrum, can be difficult to control. It is time she, and those she desired to protect, be freed from the throes of the violet light."

Under the close watch of Sakura, Shizune, Tsunade, and the speechless ANBU, Sai took a step forward, and the misty light followed his foot to provide its support. Despite their doubts, the aura surrounding Sai exuded such goodwill and well-meaning intent that they felt compelled to simply watch. He walked in midair over towards Naruto and touched his forehead gently. "Uzumaki Naruto… your indomitable will seeks to always strive forward, even in the direst of circumstances, to protect those important to you and your nindo." He let go of Naruto and hovered over to Kiba, leaving a light tattoo shaped like the Indigo symbol on the Green Lantern's forehead. Once Sai got to the crystal trapping the Inuzuka, he repeated the gesture he had done to Naruto, his hand phasing through the violet construct as if it were not there. "Inuzuka Kiba... your hot-headed loyalty to your comrades and to Akamaru demonstrates your commitment to life in all its forms." The Tribe's symbol appeared on Kiba's forehead as Sai floated towards Akamaru. "Inuzuka Akamaru… your stalwart resolve and devotion to your partner is a testament to the tenacity of all sentients." The ceremonial movement continued with Shino. "Aburame Shino... beneath your cold exterior lies a caring soul that deeply cherishes your bonds with your friends." Finally, Sai moved on to the comatose Star Sapphire. "Hyuuga Hinata... you constantly strive to overcome your own doubts and fears with the strength of your heart and your unwavering love."

Once completed, Sai strode towards the middle of the room, at the center of an imaginary circle that contained the four beds and Akamaru. When he stopped, a watery cascade of indigo gently poured out of his staff and began to float around him. "Uzumaki Naruto, Inuzuka Kiba, Inuzuka Akamaru, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata..." Sai then gripped the staff with both hands, and the pod's brilliance intensified. His eyes suddenly shot open and blazed with the power of his Tribe. "The indigo light of compassion wishes to heal you!"

Sai swirled the staff around him once, and the mist enveloping him flowed out to cover the five patients. The Indigo Lantern began rhythmically moving the staff in all directions, using his right ringed hand to manipulate the flow of the watery light. As the purple tide channeled past Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, the violet crystals began to disappear, caught and retained in Sai's conjured power. In Hinata's case, the light slowly dislodged the single crystal on her tiara.

"_Love_." The symbol of the Star Sapphires manifested on Sai's forehead as more and more of the violet constructs were absorbed. The indigo flow began to take a mixed color, and to compensate, Sai continued to summon more indigo light from his staff. The newly-christened member of the Indigo Tribe kept performing his dance-like maneuvers, and over time the constructs encasing the four teenagers withered away. At last, Kiba, Shino, Akamaru, and Naruto were completely free of the crystals. The sapphire that used to be in Hinata's forehead floated high above her, kept in place by the indigo light that began to coalesce around it. In one final motion, Sai gathered all his summoned mist and concentrated it onto the stone, while at the same time he aimed his ring straight onto its core.

"_Tor lorek Sai, bor nakka mur,  
__Natromo faan tornek Root ur,  
__Ter lantern ker lo Abin Sur,  
__Taan lek lek nok, formorrow sur_!"

A thin yet thick beam of indigo light shot out of Sai's ring and struck the remaining crystal. The leftover shade of compassion's glow in the fluidic light turned to Hinata's violet and began to take on a distinct shape. The crystal glowed bright as the gathered light began to solidify, until it coalesced into the form a six-limbed creature. The beam from Sai's ring finally shattered the central crystal, but instead of dissolving the rest of the Lantern power, the event solidified it, revealing a frightening crystalline monster more alien than anything Sakura, Shizune or Tsunade had ever seen.

"What have you done?" Tsunade asked.

"Do not be alarmed, Hokage-sama," Sai said. "I merely summoned the true form of the entity that had possessed Hyuuga Hinata."

"Possessed? That thing?" Sakura asked. The creature, composed entirely of crystal, had a vague insect-like appearance covered in a thick exoskeleton lined with spiked edges. Its six extremities ended with sharp claws, and its long pointed tail danced gracefully yet dangerously behind it. Its long head lacked any eye-sockets, substituted a nose with a hexagonal crystal, and was lined with two rows of jagged teeth inside a massive mouth. From inside its great maw a low growl like grinding metal filled the room.

"Believe it or not, this entity is the living manifestation of the violet light; the very essence of the power of love," Sai explained. "This is the Predator." On cue, the entity opened its jaws and roared. Its shrill cry, as high-pitched as a buzz-saw slicing through metal, shook the beds and shattered the windows. Only Sai was able to resist its shriek, whereas Sakura, Shizune, Tsunade, and the two ANBU had to cover their ears.

"THAT's love?" Shizune asked incredulously.

"I share your confusion as to its form, though the light of compassion allows me to venture an educated hypothesis," Sai said. He slowly approached the Predator and lifted its hand at it. "When the Star Sapphire power ring approached Hinata, it must have also come into contact with one of Shino's _Kikaichu_. Due to the nature fo the violet light, I suspect it must have been a queen ready to mate. Instead of succumbing to love, this insect embraced it, and so was elevated above all others. The light of love transformed it into its living embodiment." The entity growled and tentatively breathed in the scent from Sai's hand.

"But love..." Sakura began, "look what it did to the others. How can love be so vicious?"

"Can not love also hurt? Can it not carve a bottomless hole in your heart if that love is scorned?" Sai asked her back. He glanced at her and added: "I empathize with you, Sakura-san, and the pain your feelings for Uchiha Sasuke bring upon you." His words struck Sakura deeper than she expected, and she grasped her heart from the memories that rushed forth. Sai turned back to the Predator and let the creature sniff his hand some more. "Just like the rings of the light that birthed it, this entity is drawn to those that feel deep, unrequited love, and do not know what it is to be loved back."

Suddenly, the Predator opened its massive jaws and tried to bite Sai's hand off his wrist. The Indigo Lantern deftly moved back while he simultaneously created a solid cage around the entity with his ring. "But this creature is still a newborn," he continued. "It is too young to temper its love even if it were requited. At this time, all it seeks is to protect love and life. Though its intentions may be pure, just like a warped love scorned it aims to accomplish this by preserving it in eternal stasis."

"We can't allow it to do that," Tsunade said. "We have to find a way to keep it under control, and if that doesn't work, kill it." The entity roared again in defiance of the Hokage's suggestion, while the two silent ANBUs readied themselves to carry out her command the instant she ordered it.

Sai shook his head. "You cannot eliminate the Predator just as you cannot eradicate love. And unlike the Bijuu, the entity cannot be fully controlled by a single individual." The Predator thrashed in its indigo cage, and it took continued effort from Sai to keep it from breaking apart. "Kurenai-sensei was not wrong. It is a testament to Hyuuga Hinata's inner strength that she managed to contain it for so long. But she would have lost control of it fully in the end. So too would be the fate of any one host for its power."

"But given all that you suddenly know, something tells me you have a plan," Sakura said to him. Sai turned to her with his kind of smile that she couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.

"Like the Bijuu, the entity is a being of energy. Although it cannot be destroyed, the energy can be transformed, or in this case, separated." For a moment, the Predator stopped its thrashing, as if it understood Sai's proposal. "I propose that the Predator be divided into two and placed into dual hosts."

"But it would still be impossible to control!"

"I do not believe so, Hokage-sama. Divided, the Predator will lie dormant, yet it can still experience life, and so slowly temper itself and find true love." The encased entity growled at Sai defiantly, but refrained from further outbursts for the moment.

"Who would become its hosts?" Shizune asked Sai.

"Hinata has already demonstrated some proficiency with the entity, and so should be able to fully control half of its essence. As for the second host, she is before us." Sai turned again to the three _kunoichi _with the same smile. "Wouldn't you agree, Haruno Sakura?" The three women gasped at his recommendation. Shizune and Tsunade stared at Sakura, while the latter switched between Sai and the alien he had contained.

"Me?" she gawked. "You want to put half of that thing in me?"

"You are a likely choice. You have great love, and great loss, in your heart, do you not?" Sai asked her.

"Stop playing the Sasuke-kun card!" she protested.

"But it's not just Sasuke, isn't it?" Sai countered. "If I may be so bold, why did you become a medic-nin in the first place?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she yelled. "Yes, I want Sasuke-kun back! I can't let him become Orochimaru's next host! But I couldn't let Naruto do it alone! He almost got killed three years ago when he tried! Naruto... he wants to see us together again. Team 7 again..." Sakura sniffed once, then breathed deep to hold back the tears filling her eyes. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Not me," Sai responded, then gestured to the Predator. It was then Sakura noticed the entity was facing her directly.

"_**Haruno**_..._** Sakura**_..." it suddenly spoke with a soothing voice nothing alike its jarring screeches from before. Sakura's gaze and attention turned fully to the embodiment of love. The creature growled again, but now it sounded more like a rough purr. Without fully knowing it, Sakura stepped forward closer to the Predator.

"Saku..." Shizune protested, but Tsunade held out her arm in front of her aide. Her other arm shot up towards the ANBU, who obeyed her command to stay put. "Tsunade-sama?"

"I trust Sakura, whatever her choice," the Hokage said.

With another two steps, Sakura was close enough to the Predator. The two stared at each other for some time, neither moving nor speaking. Sakura slowly moved its hand up towards it, and while at first the love entity flinched slightly, it then gently reached with its head and touched her hand. Both Sakura and the Predator breathed deep, as one.

"Do it," Sakura whispered.

"Sakura!" Shizune gawked.

"Are you certain?" Sai asked her.

"Hurry up before I change my mind," she told him.

"Nok." Sai knocked on the ground once with his staff's lower tip, and the cage holding the Predator broke apart. Tsunade, Shizune, and the two ANBU stiffened, expecting the entity to strike quickly, but instead it reached out with one of its arms and touched Sakura's heart. Another of its arms did the same with Hinata's.

"_**Haruno... Sakura. Hyuuga... Hinata. Great... love**_."

While the Predator spoke, the Star Sapphire symbol appeared on Sai's forehead, followed then by the Green Lantern sigil, and finally by his own Tribe's seal. "_Love. Will. Compassion_." Sai aimed his ring at the entity, while from the staff's pod poured two criss-crossing arcs of violet and green light. The two beams enveloped the Predator while from Sai's ring a single, thin indigo laser that gently grew and covered the embodiment of love. The three lights combined and joined with it, transforming its solid, violet body into an ethereal state. Now converted to a ghostly mist, the Predator roared excitedly one last time, then its form split into two smaller yet identical shapes. One reentered Hinata's body, while the other phased straight into Sakura.

"Ah!" the ninja yelled. Just as the entity's form was about to disappear into her, a single shard of its tail broke off and wrapped itself around Sakura's right middle finger. The misty light solidified again, this time into a perfect Star Sapphire power ring.

"_Welcome, Star Sapphire_." In a burst of violet light, Sakura's clothing instantly transformed into a suit equal to Hinata's. After a fleeting moment, the aura that had surrounded the new Lantern subsided. Seeing her lose her footing, Tsunade rushed and let Sakura collapse onto her waiting arms.

"Sakura?" Shizune said.

"How do you feel?" Tsunade asked her.

"It's... no words..." Sakura stammered. She raised her new ring to her face, and smiled as a single tear streamed down her face. "To wear love... it's beautiful..."

"Tsunade-sama! They're waking up!" one of the ANBU yelled out. The other ninjas and the two newly christened Lanterns looked around and saw the five patients stirring and moaning. Kiba yawned loudly together with Akamaru, while Shino grunted and held his head groggily.

"Naruto... kun," Hinata said weakly, still half-asleep. The Green Lantern woke up for just long enough to see the Hyuuga stir.

"Hinata... thank..." Naruto did not finish his sentence, and instead drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"EEEEEEHH?" Naruto gawked. When he finally woke up again the next day, the room was filled with people. Shino was already up and standing, while Kiba and Akamaru gorged themselves with treats brought earlier by his mother. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Tsunade were also present. Hinata was still in her bed, but was now wearing her regular clothes even though she still wore her power ring. But Naruto was focused entirely on the two others he was now pointing at. "Sa-sa-sa... Sakura-chan! Sai! You're Lanterns too?"

"Yep!" Sakura grinned as she flashed him a peace sign.

"Nok," Sai affirmed.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Naruto complained.

"I was merely responding affirmatively to your question."

"Just say yes next time, then!"

"Knock it off, Naruto," Sakura complained. Naruto jerked back at her comment.

"You're not gonna go ballistic too, Sakura-chan?" he asked her with a bit more apprehension.

"Long story, but no," she assured him. "Hinata and I are in full control of our power rings now. Right, Hinata?"

"Y-yes," the other Star Sapphire agreed.

"I'm just glad that you're all safe again," Kurenai smiled.

"Don't get too complacent," Tsunade interrupted. "Everyone may be fine now, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."

"The nature of these rings and the different lights," Kakashi said. "There is much we have to follow up on, Hokage-sama."

"The four of you," she gestured to the four Lanterns, "I want you in my office tomorrow morning. I have a lot of questions regarding these rings, and the Predator. Until then, rest up."

"No way!" Naruto complained. "I lost a lot of training and hero days. I gotta make up for that, stat!" The blonde Green Lantern promptly threw off his sheets and jumped out of bed.

Everyone in the room tensed up, gasped or eye-twitched horribly. Kiba nearly choked on a dumpling, while Hinata's face turned beet red and she fainted on the spot.

"What?" Naruto asked. He looked down at himself.

No one had bothered to wake him up before to give him a hospital robe.

"GAAAAH!" he yelled when he saw he was naked. A single thought to his ring summoned his Lantern uniform to him, but by then it was too late.

"Narutooooo..." Sakura hissed. Her own violet ring flared as she grit her teeth and scrunched her face.

"So-so-sorry! I-I-I-I..." he stammered. Sakura took a step forward towards him, and before he could react, she raised her fist high.

"_SHANNAROOOOOOO!_" The violet ring conjured a massive fist construct in response to Sakura's thoughts, and the solid crystal punch smashed Naruto right on the face. The Green Lantern was sent flying back, breaking the concrete wall behind him, and out into the village.

"YAAAAAAH!" Naruto yelled as he flew out, first from the impact, then under his ring's power to get away from Sakura.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" the newer Star Sapphire shouted back, and displaying an instant mastery of her ring, she flew out straight after her teammate.

Everyone left in the hospital room, including Akamaru, sweatdropped.

"Is the entity inside Sakura out of control again?" Kiba asked.

"I disagree," Shino said. "Why? Because this is Haruno Sakura's usual behavior towards Naruto."

"Shouldn't you stop her?" Kakashi asked Sai.

"Klek tok. Even compassion has its limits," the Indigo Lantern responded nervously while he scratched his own cheek lightly.

Above in the clear skies of Konoha the merry Lantern chase continued. "GET BACK HERE!"

"SAKURA-CHAN! NO MORE! IF THIS IS WHAT LOVE IS, I'M SWEARING IT OFF!"

"IT'S CALLED TOUGH LOVE, PERVERT! AND LOVE CONQUERS ALL!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

...

Heh.

* * *

Author's blurb: Compassion (n): a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Two Sapphires and Indigo Sai… not what I originally had in mind, but the presence of the Predator was not part of the original plan either. I guess it's true what they say that stories take on a life of their own.

And is it just me, or did Kishimoto like some ideas from Blackest Night? Based on the latest chapters of the manga, my first thought was that the kunai Kabuto used to bring back and control all those dead ninjas with _Edo Tensei_ must've been made from Black Lantern rings.

This warrants further, careful observation.


	11. Intermission: Look To The Stars

Intermission: Look To The Stars

**Note**: Pardon the shorter length of this intermission, but I wanted to release it exactly on Christmas Eve so I had to keep it a bit short. I still hope you find it enjoyable.

For this chapter, there were a couple of songs I had in my mind as I wrote. They really made the scenes come alive for me, so I share them with you in case you are interested (how you get them is up to you). I'll mark when to play them. [x] marks the start of the song, and {x} where it ends (more or less).

1 - Forbidden Friendship – How to Train Your Dragon (also applies to Sai curing the group during last chapter)

2 - New Tail (or) Astrid Goes for a Spin – How to Train Your Dragon

3 - Romantic Flight – How to Train Your Dragon (or) X15 Jet – In the Shadow of the Moon

4 - Staging – In the Shadow of the Moon

5 - Go for TLI – In the Shadow of the Moon

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

PS: If you have any interest at all in space, watch In the Shadow of the Moon. It's a documentary where ten of the Apollo astronauts talk about what it felt like to go to the Moon. I'm man enough to admit that I was reduced to tears of joy from that movie.

* * *

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814. And it's getting awfully crowded here with power rings. Good thing I get to train three of them._

"Ok, now you try it," Naruto said. Sai, Sakura and Hinata stood in front of him, all in their Lantern uniforms, and repeated his exercise. Sakura struck a nearby rock with a beam from her ring, and then slowly levitated it and placed it on top of another close stone. Sai followed a similar procedure, using a combination of indigo light from his ring and green light from his staff to cause two tree trunks to orbit each other. Hinata generated what appeared to be a human-shaped construct, though its appearance was very generic and nondescript. "Hm, hm! That's a good start!"

"Naruto-kun, I do not understand why you want us to begin with such basic tasks," Sai told him.

"It's all part of proper training to use the rings right," he answered. Despite having been told to rest for the day, he was too excited to be doing nothing until their debriefing the next morning. Sakura chasing him through the Konoha skyline also helped to keep his adrenaline high. So the four Lanterns left the hospital and went to the training grounds, spending the rest of the afternoon getting used to the power rings.

"But all three of us have shown that we can control the rings with much more sophistication," the Indigo Lantern countered. To prove his point, he pointed his open hand towards the trees he was holding up.

"_Will_." The green light from his staff chipped at the trunks until it split into dozens of equally-sized sharp splinters.

"Sakura-san?"

"Ready," the pink-haired Star Sapphire replied. Sai tapped his staff on the ground and all the wooden needles shot straight towards Sakura. In a deft motion, she constructed a simple shield on her right arm that stopped about half the splinters, while she blasted the rest with violet light. The remaining airborne shards were encased in crystal and hovered close to Sakura.

"Your turn, Hinata," she said as she glanced over to her fellow Lantern. Sakura dispelled her construct, aimed the rest of the love-encased wood towards Hinata, and ordered her ring to attack. The crystals shot straight towards the other Star Sapphire. The black-haired girl aimed her ring at the oncoming assault. She created a simple wall construct a few meters ahead of her. A few shards were stopped by it, but the rest cracked through the thin layer of violet light and continued on to their target.

"Hinata!" Sakura yelled. She raised her ring again to stop the attack, but before she could a large green turtle appeared in front of Hinata. The crystals dug deep into the construct's shell but finally stopped. Just as Sakura dispelled the crystals, she glanced back and saw Naruto had his own ring aimed towards Hinata. Once he saw the wood chips fall to the ground, he dispelled his own construct.

"Are you ok?" he asked Hinata. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I... I thought I could, but..."

"Of course you can," Naruto told her. "I mean, you put up a heck of a fight against me the other day."

"S-sorry about that," she again apologized. "That... that wasn't..." The shy Sapphire twiddled her index fingers together.

"I believe Hinata is concerned about the possibility of the entity again manifesting itself," Sai theorized.

"Yeah, but you took care of that," Naruto said. He snickered a bit, but when Sakura and Sai eyed him curiously, he grew nervous. "You did, didn't you?"

"Nok."

"Will you stop that? You're creeping me out!" Naruto complained.

"It's not that," Sakura whispered just loudly enough to be heard.

"Of course it is," the blonde Lantern continued. "Ever since he got that purple ring of his, he keeps blabbering in that weird..."

"I don't mean him, you idiot!" Sakura chastised him.

"There is nothing to worry about, Hyuuga Hinata," Sai assured her. "I can sense that the Predator lies dormant within you. Its power is subsided and will pose no threat to those you love."

"Y-yes," she barely squeaked. Her cheeks had turned pink after Sai spoke.

"Ok, so you ready to try again?" Naruto asked her. "Just remember, the ring responds to your will."

"No, it doesn't," Sakura said. Naruto eyed her teammate quizzically.

"Sure it does," he told Sakura. "I mean, I get that its power source is love, but you have to will it to act, right?"

"Not quite, Naruto-kun," Sai explained. "The emotion is both the ring's power source and its catalyst."

"So wait. You mean that you have to feel compassion for your ring to act, and Sakura-chan and Hinata need to feel love?"

"N... yes," Sai affirmed after stopping his use of the Indigo Tribe language.

"So all you have to is think about the person you like?" he asked Hinata.

"Wh... I... l-l-like?" she stammered.

"Don't be shy, Hinata. There must be someone you really like to have gotten the ring," Naruto insisted. Naruto skipped over playfully towards Hinata and added with a mischievous nudge: "Ne, ne... Is it someone I know?"

"Th... th... that's... I..." Hinata lowered her head, now completely red, and twiddled her trembling thumbs.

[1]

"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura yelled. She rushed over and punched Naruto over the head. The force was such that he spun in the air four times before crashing on the ground.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exlaimed. Sai winced at the sight.

"Sakura-chan, that's cruel," Naruto yelped painfully.

"Sai, heal Naruto. Hinata and I need to talk, Sapphire to Sapphire." With that, Sakura gripped Hinata before she fainted and gently led her a fair distance away from the boys. Sai approached Naruto and bathed the Green Lantern in indigo light.

"What's up with them?" Naruto asked as Sai's light healed him.

"I believe they are engaged in what is called 'gossiping'."

"Your ring tell you that?"

"I read it in a book."

"Figures," Naruto sweatdropped.

Further away, Sakura stopped with Hinata out of Naruto and Sai's earshot. She placed her hands on Hinata's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized.

"Don't be, Hinata," Sakura shook her head. "It's ok. I know what's going on," she assured her. "I know who it is you love." Hinata raised her head to meet Sakura's, and the surprise was written all over her face.

"S-Sakura-san! How did..."

"The violet light allows me to see what lies in your heart," she said as she placed her right hand on top of Hinata's heart. "More than anything else, it yearns for him. The Star Sapphire sees the purity of your love for Naruto." It took all of Hinata's fortitude to not faint. When she kept silence, Sakura broke it by saying: "You have nothing to be ashamed of. A few years ago I would have thought you were crazy. But you saw what I've now seen in him much longer than anyone else in this village."

"I want to help him," Hinata finally said. "The burden of the green ring, and the darkness that approaches, he can't face that alone."

"And now he won't," Sakura agreed. "Whatever this threat you told us yesterday is, we will be there for him. You will be there for him."

"But I can't..." Hinata shook her head. "I can't say it. I can't tell him. Not yet. I'm not strong enough..."

"Yes, you are."

"How do you know?" Sakura answered Hinata's question by taking her right hand and letting the two violet rings touch.

"You were chosen for a reason." The two Star Sapphires stared at each other quietly for some time. Sakura smiled at Hinata, and the latter slowly returned the gesture. "It's alright if you can't tell him yet. But if you want to protect him, you will have to show him."

"How do I do that?"

"By mastering the violet light," Sakura said. "Let your love for him shine brighter than the brightest star."

Hinata said nothing to Sakura's encouragement. Doubt began to fill her mind, but heeding her fellow Lantern's words, she pushed them aside and let her emotion fill her heart. Her violet ring responded in kind as it lit up brilliantly. But as she let love fill her, a question sprang into her mind: "Sakura-san... what about you? Who does your heart long for?" The question caught Sakura off guard. She opened her mouth to speak, but all of a sudden she could not utter anything. She turned her head away from Hinata. The shy girl stiffened when her own Star Sapphire ring gave her a brief glimpse into Sakura's heart. "You... Na..."

"I don't know," Sakura interrupted. "To be truly honest, I simply don't know," she said as she glanced towards Naruto, who by now was completely healed. "But to answer that, there is something else I must do first."

"Sasuke-kun," Hinata anticipated correctly. "Your heart still longs for him."

"I have face him again," Sakura sentenced. "Only then will I know what my own heart truly wants. Until then..." She stopped for a moment, tightening her fist and letting her ring glow to match Hinata's. "The Star Sapphire, and the Predator, will fill this void in my heart, so that I may battle hate and fear across the universe."

"Not just you," Hinata said, holding up her hand to her face and flaunting her ring. "Us. Sisters in light."

"Sisters in light," Sakura nodded in agreement as she repeated Hinata's gesture.

From their own vantage point, Naruto and Sai saw how the two Sapphires suddenly glowed bright against the twilit clearing in the training grounds. Their suits transformed to cover the open parts of their chests, and large white belts appeared around their waists adorned with the symbol of their corps. The two male Lanterns then heard Sakura and Hinata speak as one despite their distance, their voices joined into a harmonious duet.

"_For hearts long lost and full of fright,  
__For those alone in blackest night,  
__Accept our nin and join our fight!  
__Love conquers all,  
__Kunoichi's light_!"

The very soil around Sakura and Hinata ruptured, and a dense crystal glade of Violets sprang forth. The flowers glowed softly, frozen in time and preserved in love.

{1}

"...Wow..." Naruto awed with with a slight blush. Sakura and Hinata then walked back towards the boys. Hinata in particular walked upright with her head held high and her hands firmly at her sides. "So... you doing better?" Hinata answered by turning deftly and cutting one of the flowers with a whiplash of light from her ring. Her beam encased the Violet and she pulled it towards the group, until she presented it to Naruto. "Uh, thanks. I'll take that as a yes, then!" he said after grabbing her construct.

"I think I'm done for the night," Sakura suddenly announced.

"What? It's still early, Sakura-chan!"

"Sai and I just wanted to let Tsunade-sama know how things went, and that we're ready for tomorrow's meeting," Sakura told Naruto.

"We are?" Sai puzzled. Sakura elbowed him gently.

"Well, ok, I guess," Naruto shrugged. "Might as well join you."

"No, no, that's ok!" Sakura shook her head and hands. "I think Hinata wanted to train with you a little more."

"I-I did?" Hinata whispered.

"Really?" Naruto said as he glanced towards Hinata. "Uh, alright, that sounds..."

"Great!" Sakura interrupted him. "Come on, Sai, we shouldn't let Hokage-sama wait."

"But, Sakura-san..." The Indigo Lantern did not have a chance to finish when the Star Sapphire covered him in a violet bubble and flew the both of them away speedily.

"Sa-Sakura-san! You're mean!" Hinata called out to her sister Lantern.

"You two kids have fun! See you tomorrow!" Sakura called out from the sky just before she and Sai disappeared in a trail of light.

"What was that all about?" Naruto wondered. Thankfully, Hinata thought, he did not notice her reddening face. "Anyway, I don't mind staying a while longer." He turned to Hinata and asked: "Wanna do it?"

Hinata squeaked and her face turned beet red at his comment. "H-h-huh? D-d-d-do it?"

"Yeah, train."

"Oh!" She sighed with relief.

"I know! How's your flying?" The Green Lantern's aura flared up, and Naruto rose a few feet into the air. Hinata brought her ring up and her aura appeared as well, but she remained on the ground. "What's wrong?"

"I'm... not sure what to do," she answered.

"Really? You flew pretty well when we fought."

"That was the Predator's doing," Hinata explained. "I never did that myself."

"It's pretty easy," Naruto told her. "It's kinda like walking, in a way. Just think about where you want to go and how fast." He increased his altitude slightly, then hovered side to side, and finally back down to solid ground. "See?"

Hinata hesitated for a moment. "I... don't know if..."

"Let's start simple," Naruto offered. "Just think of going up."

"Up?" she repeated.

"Yeah. If it makes it easier, say 'up' when you do. And since your ring responds to love, try picturing the person you like."

"O-ok." Hinata closed her eyes for a second, breathed deep, focused, and then pointed her ring to the sky. "Up!"

[2]

The ring obeyed her, and Hinata flew up. Fast.

"WHOA!" Naruto jumped back from the ensuing rush of air. "Hinata!"

"NARUTO-KUUUUUN!" she screamed from high up. Naruto lifted off after her. Hinata saw the green light grow brighter as he approached so she focused on going down. But instead, her ring shot sideways and carried the rest of her with it. Hinata spun around wildly in her course up to the point that she lost track of Naruto. She thought again of descending, and the ring obeyed by shooting down faster than terminal velocity. Her trajectory leveled out just before she crashed, but it took her straight into the forest. She barely dodged the trees she noticed, and from somewhere Naruto blasted off the ones she did not. Once more her ring dragged her up out of the canopy and into the heavens. Hinata finally had enough and thought about halting her flight. At once her motion ceased, but then gravity took over. She screamed, terrified, as she started falling out of the sky.

Hinata's uncontrolled descent suddenly stopped when a strong pair of arms caught her at her back and her legs.

{2}

"Hinata! Are you alright?" The Hyuuga girl glanced upwards, and was met with the sight of a masked Naruto carrying her close on his arms. Behind the emerald glow of his pupils, she saw as the worry washed away from his face. "That was close," he smiled to her.

[3]

"_Naruto-kun is... Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Don't pass out_," she thought to herself over and over again.

"How about we try starting very simple? Just think in your mind: stop. That's the very first thing I did with my ring. Stop. Got it?" Hinata did not dare open her mouth and risk losing her concentration, so she simply nodded once. "Once you're set, I'll let you go gently, ok? Let me know when."

"_Don't pass out. Don't pass out. Stop. Stop. Stop_." The Hyuuga girl repeated her inner mantra again and again, then imagined herself floating completely still next to Naruto. She nodded again, and Naruto slowly let her go. Hinata stiffened a bit when she no longer felt his warm arms against her suit, but she kept her concentration.

"That's it!" Naruto encouraged her. "You got it!" She loosened up a little, then let her mind register her surroundings. Naruto was right next to her, and now both of them were floating gently in midair. A pleasing tingle rushed from her mind to the rest of her body when her accomplishment dawned on her.

"I'm... I'm flying!" she beamed.

"Well, in a bit," Naruto said. "Let's try something different now. Just point at me, and just concentrate on following my movements, ok? I'll fly around so you get the hang of it."

"Ok!" Hinata rapidly agreed. She pointed the violet ring at the Green Lantern and focused her mind to her companion's task.

"Here we go!" With that, Naruto turned around and flew away from Hinata. With her mind set, the Star Sapphire found herself mimicking him.

"I did it!" she said jubilantly. Her sudden exuberance caused her flight to falter a little, but she quickly focused herself again and regained control.

"Give it a little time," Naruto suggested. "After a few minutes it'll become second nature. Then you can start enjoying it."

Hinata nodded and continued her concentration. Her focus was centered on Naruto and his flight path, and on following his trajectory exactly. He flew horizontally for the most part, arcing sideways or vertically on occasion to let her get accustomed to turning in midair. At first she ignored her senses except to keep Naruto on her sight. As time passed, Hinata allowed herself to let her mind wander just enough to comprehend what she was doing. Her force field subsided slightly to allow the wind to graze her head. It was different from when jumping treetops during mission deployments; here, it felt gentle, inviting, holding her steady instead of rushing against her and whooshing past her ears. She took a deep breath and let the air fill her lungs. The wind was slightly colder and smelled fresh and clean, without any trace of plant, animal, or human scents. Her sudden awareness of what her sight took in showed why. Soaring high above the village, the buildings appeared as small huts, and the few people still going about were as indistinguishable as ants. She giggled softly, and her pulse quickened. She glanced forward, and saw as Naruto dove into an oncoming cloud. She followed him in and felt how the humidity moistened her face ever so slightly. They duo exited the cloud, and once again both were coasting gently through the sky.

"Naruto-kun, thank you," Hinata said. "This is enough."

"You want to head down now?" Naruto asked her, looking back towards the Star Sapphire.

{3} [4]

She shook her head as her answer. "_It's alright now, Naruto-kun_," she thought to herself. "_I no longer want to fly behind you. I want to fly beside you_!"

Naruto gaped when, in a rush of air and violet light, Hinata jetted past him and up, lighting up the night. "Whoa! That's it! Awesome!" Not to be outdone and no longer needing to hold back, he increased his speed and caught up to Hinata.

"This is amazing!" she marveled. Hinata dove straight down, on purpose this time, then leveled out and shot into the woods around the training grounds. She and Naruto danced through the trees with effortless ease, equally zigzagging through each and lighting up the way in emerald and lavender brilliance. The two Lanterns arced up and shot just above the treetops and into the village. The people still outside pointed up at them as they rushed through, and many others observed from their windows. The two continued their path through the Konoha streets until they came upon the Hokage monument. With Hinata circling from the left and Naruto from the right, the two flew past each of the Kages' facades, met at the Third's monument, and shot straight up. After a few seconds they stopped together and stared down at the village below.

"It's so small from up here," Hinata commented.

"Yeah. Looks so peaceful, too," Naruto added. "Just think. It's our job to keep it safe, even more so now than before."

"I know. And I'm ready for it now." The Star Sapphire looked sideways to her companion. "Thanks to you, Naruto-kun."

"Heh, it was nothing!" he laughed as he shook the back of his head. While eyed the village again, Hinata glanced up.

"The stars look brighter from up here," she said. Naruto followed her sight and nodded.

"They do, don't they?" He'd never examined the night in any particular detail, but now even the simple constellations were harder to discern amid the numerous new stars. He could swear some of them were clustered together into a mid-sized band that stretched across the sky. Naruto glanced down once more then up again. "I wonder how high we can go?"

In an uncharacteristically playful manner, Hinata giggled and then taunted: "I'll race you!"

"G-huh?" By the time Naruto did a double-take, Hinata had shot straight up. Naruto smirked and dashed after her.

Both Lanterns soared vertically, without any arcs or zigzags. The faster they flew, the brighter their lights shone. The observing villagers stood mesmerized as two new stars appeared above and outshone the rest. The people saw as the two novas rocketed higher and higher, until they too became just two more dim stars among the night. Naruto and Hinata continued on, past the clouds and through slowly thinning air. The remaining faint blue hue turned to pitch black, but the dark gave way to an ever growing number of brightening stars that peppered the sky.

"...Wow..." Naruto admired. Soon little dark spots remained, and in front of him all that lay was a massive blanket of brilliant dots, each one an individual star that shone brighter than he had ever seen. The band he had seen shortly before now showed itself as a massive, distant dark cloud that glowed with the ethereal, scattered light of stars that lay within. The sight was such that Hinata finally passed him and claimed victory in their race.

{4}

The Star Sapphire turned around and began to smile proudly, but before she said a word she stiffened. She brought her hands to her lips as she gasped and inaudible breath. Naruto stopped just in front of her.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" Naruto asked the stunned Star Sapphire. He slowly began turning around. "Why do you look so…" The boy stopped mid-sentence and gasped lightly when he saw the same thing Hinata was watching.

[5]

In the midst of the star-filled heavens, a large, mostly black sphere blocked a circular patch of stars. But a thin blue crescent crept up from the southwest of the obsidian circle; a faint, glowing smile that shone softly over the two ninjas.

"Wh… where are we?" Naruto barely said. "What's that down there?"

"_Earth_," was his ring's answer.

"What?"

"_Your planet. Your world. Your home_."

"Our… home?" He and Hinata just stared at the crescent, which appeared to be expanding and filling in more and more of the black mass. "But… Konoha! Konoha is our home! Where is Konoha?"

The ring answered him by sending a thin beam of light out near the upper center of the remaining black globe. Its green glow expanded slightly, until it lit a patch no larger than a quarter of an inch from Naruto's point of view. "That little dot? The whole village… just that spot?"

"_Affirmative_."

Naruto did not ask the ring anything else. Wordlessly, he raised his left hand as far as he could and covered the spot in its entirety. He then closed his fist and held up his thumb. By itself, it still covered the whole village. Opening his hand again, he realized that the length of it covered the entire Fire Country, plus parts of the Sound, Wind, and Water countries.

Everywhere he had been on missions, his village, his friends, indeed, everything he knew in his entire life, it all fit in a space no bigger than the palm of his hand.

"_Artificial air supply established. Force field operating at interplanetary-level capacity. Power conservation in effect. Currently holding present high planetary orbit, velocity 9640 meters per second. Initiating standard planetary scan_."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata spoke at last, slowly approaching the Green Lantern and hovering next to him. Her voice seemed different, without echo, and instead of hearing with his ears, it was as if Naruto heard her directly in his mind.

"_Planetary designation: Sol-III of Sector 2814. Local designation: Earth. Atmospheric composition, 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide and rising. Additional trace elements detected. Mass: 5.9736x10^__24__ kilograms. Composition: rocky silicate crust, surrounded by viscous mantle with solid iron core. Presence of life detected. Presence of multiple intelligent species confirmed…_"

The ring kept spouting off facts and random pieces of scientific data, but Naruto and Hinata did not care. Facts and data were one thing, but the ring's science and technology could not explain what they were seeing and feeling. And what they felt was indescribable, what they saw incomparable.

Sure, they had heard that the world was round in school.

But this…

They knew that the Earth orbited the Sun and was just one of many other planets.

But this…

They had even seen some pictures demonstrating the curvature of the horizon when high in the sky.

But this…

This unexpected sight, this shining oasis amid a vast, empty, obsidian vacuum, was the most beautiful thing Naruto and Hinata had ever seen.

In what seemed to be a few minutes, the bright crescent had grown to cover the entirety of the black sphere. The two Lanterns now saw their home planet in its entirety. The connected waterways joined into a single mass, a crystal blue ocean that matched the color of a clear sky from the ground. The land that held all of civilization and the wilderness was a murky brown with patches of natural green and faint yellow, and the silky clouds and powdery snow were pure white. This sparking blue, brown and white marble glowed so brightly against the surrounding emptiness that it opaqued all the stars in the heavens. Seemingly held still by nothing, this jewel of Earth was just hung up in the blackness of space.

Naruto and Hinata had become the only two people to witness the whole circle of the Earth from outer space.

Uzumaki Naruto stared, mouth agape, as the darkness slowly began to overtake the Earth again. His whole body trembled, but he was not sure why. He felt his skin tingle and his spine quiver. He tried to say something, anything, but his throat would just not respond. His mind raced with questions. Why does the world feel flat if it's really round? What is this darkness outside of the world? How was the planet made? Did the rings come from this black void? Is this all there is? Is there more out there? As time passed and their orbit took him and Hinata into the night side of the Earth, he struggled to comprehend what he felt. Fear? Excitement? Ignorance? But as the planet once more passed from night into day, the reemergence of the beautiful sight dispelled all his doubts and his emotions boiled down to one single feeling.

Joy.

Seeing the world like this, in its entirety, he could feel nothing except joy. His body loosened, his pulse quickened, and the chill melted away in pleasing warmth. It was as if joy was a tangible blanket and had wrapped itself around him. He smiled as his heart swelled and filled every fiber of his being with pure happiness.

He was so lost in his own bliss that he did not feel when Hinata very gently reached to her side and entwined her fingers on his. Only when he heard a faint sniffle did he glance towards her.

"Hinata?" Next to him, Hinata was also staring at the Earth. Her right hand was against her smiling lips, but in contrast, she sniffled every so often as steady streams of tears flowed freely down her face. "What's wrong? You're crying."

Hinata turned towards him, not stopping her tears or her smile. "So are you, Naruto-kun."

It was then Naruto felt the moistness behind his Green Lantern mask. He gently touched the tip of it with his left hand and let it vanish. At once his own tears flowed down to his cheeks. He took one of them with his index finger and stared at it for a moment. Without knowing why, he flicked it out into space, and slowly the liquid froze into hundreds of tiny shards of ice that sparkled against the backdrop of the now full Earth.

"We... we have to show... everyone..." he said.

"Yes... but I... we... can we stay here, just a little longer?" Hinata asked him. Naruto glanced towards her, and on her face was etched the same joy he felt himself. He smiled again and nodded gently.

"Yeah."

And so they did. With hands held together, Naruto and Hinata orbited their world transfixed. There they stayed, for hours on end, silently gazing at the majesty of the good Earth. They did not bother to count the times they circled the planet, or rather how many times day turned to night and turned back into day. They just observed silently, committing as much as they could to memory and feeling. They both knew, deep down, that even if they came back up another time, it would not be the same, and they would never experience the sense of wonder and joy they felt now. They simply lived at this moment for as long as they could.

"_Warning. Power levels 15%. Initiating planetary reentry_." It took Naruto a few seconds to register what his ring told him, and how the Earth began to grow bigger even as they continued to revolve around it. With some disappointment, he realized it was time to return home to Konoha. But as they descended, his own definition of home had grown beyond his imagination.

The two Lanterns continued their involuntary descent until the Earth was no longer round and the darkened night horizon stretched and began to return to its familiar straight appearance. But as they began to touch the faintest parts of the atmosphere, the edge of the world lit up, and all of a sudden, in an intense burst of white light, the Sun rose majestically over the horizon and lit up the planet with all of its glory. Despite the star's glowing brilliance, the sky remained completely black, and only below them did the familiar blue hue of the seas and the heavens appear. It was then Naruto realized that the blackness he and Hinata saw was not the sky. This was a view of infinity. And somewhere in that endless void, here was Earth, cocooned by a thin shell of air that allowed them to live on its surface. One more adjective popped into his head to describe the Earth: fragile. Despite how big it looked on the surface, the world was so tiny and so fragile out among the vastness of the universe.

And so, under the brilliant gaze of father Sun and the gentle embrace of mother Earth welcoming them back into her bosom, Naruto raised his ring high and said: "Earth... all of it... everyone, and everything in it... I'll protect you. That's a promise! Believe it!"

And in the deepest corner of his soul, in his heart of hearts, beyond even the Kyuubi's ever-present taint, Naruto barely heard a faint voice speak into the core of his being: "_**Thank you**_."

{5}

* * *

Author's Blurb: You have no idea how much I've wanted to get to this moment.

The sight of Earth from space... even I get misty eyed as I tell you Naruto's reaction. The few who are blessed to see their home planet from the empty blackness of outer space are forever changed, and I dream of the day that everyone will be able to reach the stars.

Appropriate, then, that this is posted on the 42nd anniversary of a great moment in human history. Today, on Christmas Eve forty-two years ago, three brave heroes, not just American, but for all humankind, became the first to reach and orbit another world. In doing so, Jim Lovell, Bill Anders, and Frank Borman of the Apollo 8 mission showed all of us our first true view of what Earth is really like from a distance. These three explorers gave humanity what I think is the best Christmas gift it could have ever received: a marvelous Earthrise seen from around the Moon. They showed us both how tiny and insignificant our planet is in the grand scheme of the universe, but also how fragile, precious, and beautiful our mother world truly is.

So on this special day, I feel a special message to all my readers is appropriate.

May you not be tainted by the Rage of those who live to only spew it. May you always treasure those that fill you with Love in your lives.

May you not succumb to selfish Avarice to the expense of the wellbeing of others. May you show them Compassion so that we may all share in mutual, peaceful coexistence.

May your souls be filled with the Willpower to conquer your Fears and fulfill our shared Hopes for a better tomorrow.

May what you do reflect what you wish for all, and may it be for the benefit of the miracle of Life in this, our one and only home world.

"_And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth_." - Colonel Frank Borman, USAF (Ret.), December 24, 1968, Lunar orbit.


	12. Those who Try to Stop what's Right

Chapter 10: Those who Try to Stop what's Right

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814._

_Space… it's huge. Someday I'll have to explore it. But not yet. Earth is my responsibility now. And I will do whatever I have to do to protect it_.

The first rays of the Sun bathed the landscape of the Village of the Leaf with a healthy orange glow. People began heading out to school and work, and the ninjas congregated near the central building to receive their daily missions. Still groggy, Tsunade hobbled over to her office and sat on her desk. Shizune had been kind enough to prepare her morning tea. The Hokage eagerly took a sip and let the warm broth sharpen her wakening senses.

"The four should be here soon," she murmured to herself. So before the others arrived, she proceeded with her regular morning ritual.

Tsunade unfurled the newspaper Shizune had also delivered. She reached into her left pocket while her right hand turned to the proper page. She scanned her ticket and the lower left box on the printed sheet.

"Bah," she sighed. She ripped up the lottery ticket into four pieces and tossed it into the wastebasket.

"Lost again, Tsunade-sama?" a female voice called out from behind her. The Hokage turned around in her chair and saw her student floating in midair and enclosed in a violet aura. Sai also approached from behind Sakura, also covered in the glow of the Lantern ring's power.

"As usual," the Hokage replied. "Come in." Sai and Sakura hovered through the window and landed in front of their leader. Their auras dissipated but they kept their respective uniforms. "You changed your uniform?"

"I found the old one to be a little too revealing," Sakura answered, comparing it to her new uniform that covered her torso completely.

"If I may ask, Hokage-sama, it is my impression that you continue with this luck-based ritual of yours despite the overwhelming odds," Sai asked her superior.

"Don't be such a sour-puss, kid!" Tsunade waved him off. "My number's bound to come up someday!"

"If you say so," he answered, "but I find it strange. This book I read mentions that gambling addiction can give the elderly the impression that they have higher odds of winning when the only determining…" Sai stopped when the Hokage towered menacingly over him.

"You calling me old, brat?" she hissed with a scowl. Sai gulped loudly and had to lean on his indigo staff to support his suddenly trembling feet.

"_Fear_," his ring echoed.

"A-ha ha ha, it's alright, Tsunade-sama," Sakura nervously laughed while gently holding back the blonde woman. "Don't take him too seriously. Sai is still socially clueless."

"OI! SAKURA-CHAAAN! TSUNADE-NO-BAACHAAAN!" The Hokage and the two Lanterns turned back when they heard the distant yell. Out and above the village, two trails of green and violet light descended from the sky and approached the office.

"Those must be Naruto and Hinata," Sai guessed.

"Naruto's up early? That's really rare," Sakura said. "I wonder what he's…"

Sakura could not finish when suddenly two large hand constructs appeared and encircled the three. Naruto dove into the middle between the arms and brought them close. It took Sakura a moment to realize he'd enclosed them all in a tight group hug. Hinata landed gently behind him with her aura glowing brighter at the sight.

"Naruto?" Tsunade asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Baachan," he answered. "Everything's great." He let them go, but while Tsunade, Sai and Sakura kept their quizzical stares glued at him, the young Lantern beamed with a joyful smile. "You won't believe what just happened," he told them. "Hinata and I… what we saw, where we were…"

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sakura asked him. "Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? Sleep deprivation?"

"Yes to both, Sakura-san. Naruto-kun and I… it's too beautiful for words," Hinata told the group.

"So you were up all night doing something, I surmise," Sai conjectured. "And given your highly blissful attitude, it must have been enough to perpetually change you emotionally."

"You don't know the half of it, Sai," Naruto told him. "What we did… it took our breaths away. I've never been so happy in my whole life. It felt better than when I got my forehead protector," he tapped the metal band on his forehead, "and better than when I first got the ring!" Hinata nodded in agreement. He was so enraptured and his memories so fresh that he did not notice Tsunade and Sakura exchanging worried glances.

"Um… how to say this… did you two at least… you know… protect yourselves?" Tsunade asked them nervously.

"Oh, yes," Hinata answered. "Our power rings supplied us everything we needed. They let us enjoy the experience fully, without reservation." At this, Sakura blushed bright red.

"Hinata! What we talked about, I didn't mean for you to take it that far!" she exclaimed, the embarrassment dripping from her voice.

"It's fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto told her. "In fact, we were thinking next time you could all join us."

If Naruto's comment left Sakura and Tsunade rearing back and gawking in horror, Sai's comment would almost leave them convulsing, passed-out, drooling messes: "Hmm… I never considered coitus with multiple people, but it sounds like it would be a pleasant, empathic experience and an efficient team-bonding exercise."

"Huh? Coitus?" Naruto asked.

"Well, are you not talking about that particular activity?" Sai continued. "From the book I read I believe the correct term is: congratulations, you dog! Giggity!" he added, giving Naruto a wink and a thumbs-up sign. By now Hinata too caught on as to what the three thought they meant, and she blushed fiercely, gasped, and collapsed onto a hastily summoned crystal chair construct.

"Dude, Sai, I have no clue what you're talking about," Naruto told him. "Hinata and I just flew so high we were able to see the whole Earth."

"Wait, what?" Tsunade and Sakura both said.

"Yeah." To explain, Naruto summoned a large green globe of the Earth above the group's head. "This is what our world looks like from high above. Konoha is right here," he said, and a minuscule point shone brighter on the sphere, "and there're tons of unexplored regions over here," he added, showing them the continents of the western hemisphere of the planet.

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed as her blush disappeared. "I thought you and Hinata… never mind. That's amazing."

"Oh, this is nothing like seeing it in person," Naruto assured her.

"That does seem very impressive," Sai commented. He turned towards Sakura, took a step towards her and added: "Perhaps later they can show us…"

"Don't come anywhere near me, you pervert," Sakura cut him off.

"Alright, alright, everyone, settle down," Tsunade interrupted them after clearing her throat. "Exciting as it might be, sightseeing can wait until later, but right now I'm more concerned about other negative consequences these rings could bring." While she marched back to her seat, Naruto dissolved his construct, Hinata stood up shakily and dissipated hers, and Sai and Sakura stepped up to the other two, with Sakura making sure to keep far away from Sai.

"What do you want to know, Tsunade-sama?" Hinata asked first.

"Good of you to ask," the Hokage said. She narrowed her pupils and stared at the two Star Sapphires. "Sakura. Hinata. Are you in control?"

Their answer was a quick and unambiguous: "Yes."

"Good. Which brings me to my next order," she said as she leaned back on her chair. "Tell me everything you know about the powers of your rings, their weaknesses, and about their Corps."

* * *

"This meeting will come to order," the voice sprang from the shadowy form. Eight humanoid silhouettes, summoned by a common jutsu, stood around a single dim torch inside a sealed cave. The two tallest were by themselves, while the rest were paired together.

"Where's that Uchiha kid?" one of the voices said.

"Uchiha Itachi has betrayed us, Hidan," Zetsu spoke.

"The bastard got his hands on a ring similar to the Kyuubi brat's, and he wasted no time in using it," said Kisame.

"Just what we needed, hn!" Deidara scowled. "Those damn rings sure know how to pick 'em. A target and a defector; we're in for a real ride, hn!"

"There's more," Zetsu added. "I'm scouting around the Fire Country, and I've found evidence that another power ring may have manifested." With that, the plant-like _Akatsuki_ produced a shard of stone that glowed a faint violet despite the limitations of the space-time projection jutsu. "I found an entire forest of these crystals, and there were ample signs of a battle at the epicenter of the site."

"A violet ring? That makes three," Kakuzu said.

"And there may be more," Pain spoke. "Rumors have reached Amegakure of inextinguishable crimson fires in the night, and of a burned-out crater near a location we believe held one of Orochimaru's hideouts."

"So you think another power ring wielder killed him?" Kisame asked.

"Or claimed him, hn."

"This is so screwed up," Hidan snorted. "As Jashin-sama's favored servant, I should be getting one of those rings!"

"Psh, I doubt they choose blind zealots." Hidan turned and eyed his partner with contempt.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, SHITHEAD!"

"You'd only rain destruction. Such power should be used carefully and with meticulous calculation. No country could pass up a mercenary of such might."

"Heh, always thinking with your wallet, Kakuzu," Tobi joked. "Maybe there's a special ring given out to zombies like the two of you."

"I swear, one day, Tobi…"

"Enough," Pain cut the argument off. "It is true, if more rings manifest, we would be at a great disadvantage. We must learn more about the nature of these rings, and if we cannot claim them, then we must destroy them."

"That sounds fine and dandy, fearless leader! When do we start?" Tobi inquired.

"Perhaps I can assist with that," a new voice suddenly rang out inside the chamber. All eyes turned to a previously empty spot next to Kisame, where now another shadowy form manifested from nowhere. This one though was covered in a faint yellow aura.

"You!" Deidara exclaimed.

"Itachi…" said Pain.

* * *

"As we have all seen, the powers of the rings are all centered on the manipulation of light," Sai explained. "All rings grant their users the ability to fly and generate force fields for personal protection. Aside from that, each ring has certain differences in their power. The green light is the most malleable and easily controlled, however based from Naruto's earlier reports, it can be weak against the color yellow and the yellow power ring if the user experiences fear to make willpower falter. My indigo light by itself can only heal physical injuries, but because compassion is empathic, it can mimic the light of any other ring in its near vicinity."

Sakura then added her own thoughts: "The Star Sapphire's light can also generate constructs like the green ring, but it can solidify permanently until consciously dispelled or destroyed. So far it doesn't seem overly weak against any of the other lights, though I suppose it comes at the cost of it being harder to control."

"And all rings require a periodic charge to keep their power levels up. I have to mix my own will with my chakra to keep my ring powered up," Naruto said.

"I can recharge my ring using my staff, however I feel that the light of compassion is scant and may be hard to collect."

"Where do your power levels stand now?" Tsunade asked.

"Ring, power check," the four Lanterns ordered their rings.

"_Power levels 13%_," the green ring answered.

"_Power levels 86%_," said the indigo ring.

"_Power levels 100%_," said both Sakura and Hinata's rings.

"That shouldn't be right," Hinata said. "Its charge should have diminished after practice yesterday."

"But we have a portion of the love entity within us," Sakura conjectured. "Its presence must be keeping our rings fully charged."

"That's one bit of good news at least," Tsunade said.

"From what we've learned, each ring is utilized by a respective Corps whose purpose varies according to the emotion tied to the respective color," Sakura continued. "Willpower with the Green Lantern Corps, Itachi's yellow fear with the Sinestro Corps, compassion with the Indigo Tribe, and love with the Star Sapphires."

"Each Corps's mission and purpose must be similarly tied to their emotion," Hinata added.

"The Green and Sinestro Corps' purposes seem clear enough," Tsunade commented. "Order versus chaos. I'm more curious about the Star Sapphires and the Indigo Tribe, however."

"How so?" Naruto asked. "Love and compassion sound positive to me."

"No disrespect towards Hinata, but you saw what the Predator did in the name of love," Tsunade countered. "As for compassion, to be honest, I'm wary of it having chosen one of Danzou's agents."

"Compassion strives for empathy, Tsunade-sama," Sai said. "I understand your reservations. I was chosen to better empathize with emotions, mine and others, that I may better share goodwill with Konoha and the greater world."

"So that makes five rings out of four Corps," Tsunade began. "Yellow, green, indigo, and violet."

"Sounds a lot like a rainbow," Naruto joked. He was the only one to chuckle, while the others guessed where the Hokage was going.

"Naruto-kun, you mentioned to me once that in that dream you had, there were seven animals, and seven colors, correct?" Sai asked the Green Lantern.

"Yeah. Why?" It took him a little longer to realize what Sai truly meant.

"Red, orange, and blue corps?" Sakura asked. "Could there be other rings out there? And if they are, what emotions do they represent?"

"If the pattern we've seen holds, I suspect red and orange represent negative emotions, while blue a positive one."

"Give me a sec, Baachan," Naruto said. "Ring, are there red, orange, and blue corps?"

"_-Error- Partial memory core corruption. Unable to process request_."

"Oh, come on, ring, not this again!" he complained.

"I feel the rest of our rings are similarly corrupted," Sai explained. "For some reason I cannot empathize, they must have been damaged before we became their bearers."

"You said the light of compassion granted you knowledge, Sai-kun," Hinata said. "Would you know anything about these?"

At her suggestion, Sai lowered his head as he gripped his staff with both hands. His eyes glowed indigo in deep concentration. After a few seconds, he returned to normal and said: "I'm sorry. I can only empathize with an object or life-form that I am in contact with."

"So this leaves us with three unknowns," the Hokage began. "First, we have Itachi, still at large, and in possession of a ring whose purpose is to spread fear and destruction. Second, the three missing emotions and Corps. Finally, there are the other entities."

* * *

"Surprised to see me?"

"If you came here to gloat, save it!" Kisame growled. "Next time I find you I'll tear you to pieces!"

"As I said, Kisame, I harbor no ill will towards you. Do not force my hand against you again."

"You…" Kisame hissed.

"What do you want, traitor?" Pain asked the newest arrival.

"Is it not obvious? I've come to renounce my membership to _Akatsuki_," Itachi's image said. He took off the organization's ring off his finger and let it drop, where it disappeared from the chamber once it was no longer bound by the projection jutsu. "I belong to a new organization now, one that will allow me to fulfill my own goals with more precision."

"Don't tell me you went to Orochimaru or some other mercenary group," Tobi called out.

"Not at all. As you have already surmised, Orochimaru is no longer a factor on the world stage," the Sinestro corpsman said.

"You? Did you…" Pain began.

"Someone reached him before I could," Itachi added. Despite the garbling of his voice from the jutsu, there was a slight hint of worry in it. "But he no longer concerns me. The Sinestro Corps has other plans for this world. Plans that do not include _Akatsuki_."

"The what-what?" Hidan asked.

"The creators of the yellow rings. An organization that spreads far beyond the small confines of Earth, whose purpose is to impose order through instilling great fear on all life."

"Psh, any of us could do that! What's so special about you?" Deidara scoffed.

"You cannot spread or invoke fear as much as I already do," Itachi answered. "Perhaps if you were more renown, the ring may have chosen any of you. But as it is, the rings choose who they choose. Myself. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. And any others they may elect."

"So there are other rings out there," Zetsu confirmed.

"None of which will fall into your hands," Itachi sentenced. "None of you can instill great fear as I can. Besides, you are all just toys, pawns to a megalomaniac who cowardly hides in the shadows and refuses to step into the light."

"Oh, don't be so kind," Tobi snickered.

"Please," Kakuzu scoffed. "We all know why we're in on this. World domination one way or the other."

"True, but if one of you has their way, even you will be mindless slaves to his power," Itachi countered.

"Pain? What's the hell's he talking about?" Hidan sneered at the leader.

"Not him," Itachi said. "Him," he added as he pointed at Tobi.

"TOBI?" Deidara asked incredulously. "Did that ring make you insane too, hn?" The other members laughed, except Pain, Zetsu, and Tobi himself.

"Not at all. Why don't you tell them, Tobi? Or should I say… Uchiha Madara?"

* * *

"What do we know about them?"

"Not much, sadly," Hinata spoke up. "The Predator within us is the manifestation of love, born from one of Shino's _kikaichu_."

"Itachi had Parallax, but I don't know if it was the real thing or just another of his illusions," Naruto said. Sakura turned to him and asked him another question.

"What about the willpower entity?"

"Ion? No idea," he answered. "I know what it looks like but I haven't met it in person yet."

"We don't know if it or Parallax even exist yet," the Hokage said. "The Predator was born only a few days ago."

"Naruto-kun, can you vividly recall the dream you had?" Sai suggested. "Perhaps you can show us the form of the other entities."

"Can't make any promises that they'll be exact, but here goes," he said. Naruto aimed his ring forward and projected images of the seven entities as he remembered them from his nightmare. Though they were all green in color unlike his dream, the Predator, Ion and Parallax matched what each one had seen at some point. Hinata and Sakura projected their own light at the image of the Predator, giving it its true violet color.

"This confirms it. There's three other corps out there, and each one has its corresponding entity that embodies the emotion," Tsunade said. "Naruto, what colors were each of them?"

"This bull was red," he said, pointing to the leftmost entity. A fully framed, tough bull with two sharp tusks and massive bent horns, its mouth frothed with some vile liquid the ninjas couldn't discern from the lack knowing its true color. "The creepy snake was orange," Naruto continued as he described a long coiled snake with discernible, scaly eyebrows that extended to a sort of circular sigil on its forehead. "Parallax and Ion are yellow and green, obviously, while this three-faced bird was blue." The bird next to Ion had a circular hollow on its chest, and from its border a line stretched to its long neck that held up three joined faces with long, sharp beaks. "And this weird tentacle-thing matched Sai's color," he finished, referring to the squid with four tentacles and whose interiors were tattooed with the Indigo Tribe's sigil.

"I know this entity," Sai wondered as he approached the image of the squid. He projected his light onto it and gave it its true, indigo color. "Or at least, my ring does."

"Do you know where it is?" Tsunade asked him.

"I do not believe it exists yet," Sai answered. "Its name escapes me as well, but I feel that given time, I shall meet this entity."

"But if the corps have existed for some time, how come their entities are newborns or don't exist at all yet?" Sakura asked rhetorically.

"And how come I dreamt them up if they don't exist?" Naruto added. "I'm a great ninja and all, but I'm no fortune teller."

"All valid questions, which we have no way of answering without more information," Tsunade said. "The only way to do that would be to either wait for your rings to self-repair, which would take longer than I would like, or..." she paused for a moment.

"Or what, Ba-chan?"

"Make contact with the different corps directly," she finished. The Lanterns stiffened slightly.

"You want us to seek out the Green, Violet, and Indigo Corps?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Not quite," the Hokage answered. "Remember, you four are still first and foremost Konoha ninjas, and you still have duties to fulfill to the Leaf. Naturally I would expect that any missions you take on in the future would be quickly carried out with your new powers. However, I would encourage you to send out messages from your rings to other Lanterns from your respective Corps. Perhaps there's others out there that might listen and be able to explain more about everything. It is vitally important, though, that you also keep an eye out for any of the other entities, and if found, contain them at once."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Sai and Sakura saluted while Naruto grinned and nodded.

"But, Hokage-sama," Hinata interjected hesitantly.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"I'm not sure we may be able to contact the Star Sapphires." She brought her closed fist close to her face and tensed up slightly. "The ring... it told me the Sapphire's home was destroyed. I saw..." she stopped herself when she recalled the haunting, prophetic image her ring had given her of the dead.

"Another mystery to solve, and all the more reason to keep an eye out for the other corps," was Tsudane's response. "They may know something about these... undead, for lack of a better word."

"Ugh, I hope not!" Naruto commented. "I didn't sign up to fight in a zombie apocalypse or anything."

"You have your orders. Until then, resume your regular mission schedules. Dismissed!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the four Lanterns answered, and in a flash of light, they were gone.

* * *

"Madara?" Deidara snickered, his image in the chamber flickering as a result. It took some concentration to maintain the projection jutsu, and on top of the usual disorientation of seeing both a cave and a rocky sunlit terrain simultaneously, Itachi's claim made keeping it in focus all the more difficult. "You're saying that this joker is the greatest prodigy of the Uchiha clan, hn?" He couldn't help but join Hidan's mad cackling.

"That ring did drive you delusional," Kakuzu shot, not bothering to join with his partner's humor. "That clumsy, sad excuse for a ninja only wishes he were that deadly legend."

"Hey, I'm right here!" Tobi flipped Kakuzu off.

"You deny it?" Itachi asked. He pointed his power ring at Tobi, and a yellow spot of golden light blurred his shadow self.

"Please," Tobi waved the Lantern off. "Even if I were Uchiha Madara, which I'm not saying I am mind you, your image can do squat in this place."

"Can't it?" The ring flared, and suddenly the wall behind Tobi exploded in a deafening blast of yellow light. All the _Akatsuki_'s images shimmered and distorted, and Deidara's body almost fell back on the outcropping he was in. His view of the meeting chamber slowly came back into focus when he channeled the jutsu once more, and he saw the rest of the _Akatsuki_ members, even Pain, had had similar detriments as him. Only Itachi stood calmly, his amber-tinged image unaffected, and his ring arm still pointing towards Tobi.

"How?" Hidan asked.

"As I said, I am far beyond any of you now," Itachi answered calmly. "Now, Madara, are you ready to talk?"

Deidara, both in jutsu and in his real body, glanced towards Tobi. "He's kidding, right, hn?" both of his selves said. Tobi's body stared into the distance, and in the chamber, his projection stared back at Itachi.

"What is your goal now, traitor?" he said. Where once his voice was a mockingly high-pitched squawk, now it was deep, resounding, and commanding all at once. The newer recruits of _Akatsuki_ gasped in unison, as did Deidara.

"You..." his real self whispered. "You're really... Uchiha Madara, hn?"

"My goal is what it always has been," Itachi said. "I wish for the safety and peace of Konoha."

"And your little brother?" Madara riposted. After Itachi did not answer, the Uchiha legend spoke again: "He's probably lost without his master. All he'll want is to find and kill you. What do you think seeing you like this will do to his already worn hate-filled heart?"

"He will still fear me," Itachi answered nonchalantly. "Just as all of you fear me now, and just as the whole world will fear me soon enough."

"To what end?" Madara said. No one else in the chamber now dared to interrupt their conversation.

"If you know my personal goals, then why need to ask, Madara?" Itachi asked back. "Despite the large presence of notorious killers and criminals in its ranks, the true goal of the Sinestro Corps is to impose order through instilling fear. All I have done, everyone I've killed, it was all in the name of peace. The death of the clan spared Konoha of the greater calamity of war, and with this ring, I will impose everlasting peace on this world."

"You seem to forget the other Lanterns that have claimed rings of their own," Madara countered. "The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and his allies will attempt to stop you."

"So as I expected, there are other corps" Itachi said. "I welcome their attempts. They will find that fear is the greatest weapon in the universe. Even Naruto-kun's willpower shall fall against the might of Parallax's emissaries. Once they know my true goal, they might even join me as guardians of the world."

"You are a fool, Itachi," Pain finally broke in. "_Akatsuki_ shares that resolve of final, everlasting peace. Why make enemies of us, when together we could fulfill our mutual goals extremely quickly?"

"Because not even you know Madara's final goal, Pain," Itachi countered. "Why don't you tell them of your plan? The Eye of the Moon?"

For once, Madara grunted. "How did you...?"

"You were not the only one spying on the others' activities."

"What's he talking about?" Hidan shot. Madara glanced around and found that everyone, including Pain, were looking right back at him. Still he said nothing. When it became evident he had no intention of talking, Itachi did it for him.

"He intends to combine the nine Tailed Beasts into a single being, and use its power to cast a _Tsukiyomi_ on the entire world with the moon as his _Sharingan_. Every living being will be under his control for all time, mere shells commanded by his will."

"Are you shitting me, hn?" Deidara yelled. "All you Uchihas are the same with you and your damn eyes!" Disregarding the projection jutsu, the real Deidara jumped Madara, but he only phased through his body as if it were not there. "What the...?"

"I didn't sign up to let this old fart turn me into a puppet!" Hidan added.

"There's no profit in this venture," Kakuzu growled.

"Don't listen to this traitor!" Madara retorted. "He's already lied and betrayed his country. What makes you think he's not lying to us now?"

"Maybe I am," Itachi conceded. "And yet you lied about your true identity as well. A man of your ambition and renown does not share power, Madara."

"You lied to me, Madara," Pain accused as his own _Rinnegan _narrowed. "This is not why I founded _Akatsuki_, and why I accepted your help."

"So, you would all betray me too?" Madara addressed the assembly.

"You betrayed us first. Who is the traitor now?" Konan said in a rare example of her joining a meeting directly. An eerie silence followed, with all of _Akatsuki_ glaring at Madara and only glancing on occasion towards the yellow-clad Itachi.

"Very well. It matters not," Madara finally said. "I still have access to _Gedo Mazo_. I can still carry out my plan alone."

"Bastard," Deidara cursed. He was so focused on the real Madara's form next to him that his image began to dissipate in the chamber.

"And as for you," Madara added, pointing at Itachi, "consider my promise to leave Konoha alone null and void. I will capture the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki myself, and claim his power ring."

"The green light of willpower will not serve the likes of you," Itachi said. "But I will not allow you to harm Konoha, or the Green Lantern. The Sinestro Corps has plans for him."

"Your threats are empty, Itachi. You cannot harm me. All I have to do is..."

Without warning, Madara's image disappeared entirely from the cave room. The rest of the ninjas gasped at his sudden departure. But none was more shocked than Deidara. Next to him, a thin beam of yellow light penetrated the back of his partner's skull. At once, his mask exploded out along with the rest of his head, sending blood, ichor, and brain matter scattered all over the rocky vista and onto Deidara. The famed _Sharingan_ eyes themselves turned to squashed jelly by the powerful blast. Despite being an expert on explosions, Deidara was at a loss for words. He stood there, watching silently as the body of his comrade slumped lifeless onto a growing pool of blood. The suddenness of the moment, the fleetness of the bang, the completeness of the kill... he couldn't stop shaking. Deidara marveled at Itachi's surgical precision. This was true art. And it terrified him.

"It is done," Itachi proclaimed. "Uchiha Madara is dead."

"Dead?" Kisame said. "How?"

"That's... impossible," Zetsu stammered. "There's no way... that easily..."

"He's not kidding," Deidara said as he collected himself and restored the projection jutsu. "I saw it myself, and I'm certain this was no illusion, hn. I've got chunks of his head still on me, hn."

"As I said before, I am now beyond any of you," Itachi sentenced. "My warning is this: do not interfere with my plans, and make no attempt to harm Konoha or the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. I bear the rest of you no ill will, but if you try to stop me or my corps, you will meet Madara's fate." As his image disappeared from the chamber, he said one last thing: "Farewell." And with that, the Sinestro corpsman was gone, leaving the rest of _Akatsuki_ alone in their silence and fear.

"So what the hell do we do now?" Hidan asked, and for once his voice was subdued.

"With Madara dead, we can still carry out the original plan to capture the Bijuu," Zetsu suggested.

"But once we do, then what?" Deidara asked. "Not to mention Itachi would attack anyone that approaches the Leaf or the Kyuubi, hn."

"We can still capture the Hachibi," Kakuzu said. "With eight beasts, we might be able to subdue even Itachi and the Kyuubi."

"And I'd still like to take a stab at Itachi, ring or not," Kisame growled. "Even if he kills me, I want to give him something to remember me by."

"Kisame and Kakuzu are correct," Pain sentenced. "We cannot let this unforeseen development derail us from our ultimate goal. It is true, Madara's death and Itachi's acquisition of a power ring severely complicates matters, but we must prevail. Peace rests upon it."

"So what do you propose we do, hn?" Deidara's shade said while his real self cleaned his cloak from Madara's stains.

"Uchiha Itachi's newfound strength stems from his power to instill great fear," Pain explained. "If we are to prevail against him, we must make him know true fear." Pain's vision circled the chamber, stopping at each of his colleagues. "Kisame, Deidara! The two of you wish revenge upon Itachi the most. You are to join together and seek him out. Engage him if you believe you can take him, but do not be reckless."

"Now you're talking," Kisame said, punching his fists together.

"I'll make sure he sees my greatest art, hn!" The two mouths on Deidara's hands licked their lips.

"And what about us? You're just gonna leave us to rot?" Hidan challenged.

"Of course not," Pain answered. "Hidan, Kakuzu, I have a very special mission for you. There is only one thing that would instill fear onto Itachi. You are to seek out Uchiha Sasuke, capture him, then join with Kisame and Deidara. His little brother will be our leverage against his power ring. Zetsu, your task is to find both Uchihas and report to us the moment they are detected."

"And what will you two be doing?" Kakuzu asked.

"Konan and I will capture the Yonbi ourselves, in preparation for the final phase of _Akatsuki's_ overall goal. Afterwards, we will all gather in Konoha, and capture the Kyuubi and his Lantern allies."

"At least the gain is worth the risk. We get the Bijuu and all the power rings. With them, we will be all-powerful."

"You misunderstand, Kakuzu," Pain corrected him. "Our goal to harness the Bijuu's power remains the same. But as for the power rings, we will not use them. We will destroy them, and extinguish the Lantern's light." At this, even Konan gawked at the leader's proposal.

"Are you crazy!" Hidan bellowed. "You'd snuff out weapons such as those? What the hell's gotten into you!"

"I hate to agree with the zealot, but he's got a point, hn! Imagine the art we could do with those things."

"My decision is final!" Pain ordered, his voice for once rising in pitch. All further dissent in the chamber was silenced immediately. "You will carry out your orders to the letter. Fail, and the consequence will be worse than death. Is that clear?"

Most of the members only nodded. Only Zetsu answered verbally with a simple: "Yes."

"Dismissed." All the members vanished from the chamber. Deidara returned his full attention to his real body, and to Madara's corpse next to him.

"Now what the hell do I do with this, hn?"

* * *

"Nagato, may I ask you something?" Konan asked her partner once the projection jutsu was dispelled. Pain glanced towards her and nodded in approval. "I must admit, I am at a loss as to why you want to destroy the Lantern rings. Such power would greatly aid our goal of peace if we were to acquire them."

"That is true," Pain answered as the duo walked back into their headquarters at the top of the tallest building in Amegakure. Once they were inside and out of the constant rain, he stopped. "But I sense their presence will only bring calamity to our world."

"What do you mean?" To her surprise, Pain clenched his fist tight.

"Ever since Zetsu's initial report, there has been this certain unease. A constant distraction, a worry, that preoccupies me. As reports of more rings come in, the sensation only grows. Behind the power of the rings lies something dark and sinister, something I cannot explain, but am convinced that it will only bring ruin to us all."

"Nagato..." Konan said in concern. "How do you know this?"

"That is my greatest concern. It's not me," he answered. He looked towards her, and for the first time since in recent years, Konan saw the face not of Nagato, but of someone dear they had lost. For a split second, she swore she saw Pain's _Rinnegan_ disappear, replaced instead by crystal blue eyes.

"Yahiko?" she whispered as tears filled her. Pain said nothing, and merely walked away.

* * *

Deep in the dark cover of a remote jungle, a predator took in the carcass of his recent kill. The killer dragged the crocodile by its tail out to solid ground, and then smashed it against a nearby tree. The corpse's bones cracked and its skin split open. The crocodile fell strewn into a mess, while its killer knelt in front of the carcass. Reaching out with gloved hands, the figure reached into the body and ripped out its heart.

"Telllllll meeeeee..." he hissed. He brought the still heart close and took a savage bite. Fresh blood coated his hands and legs, combining with his own that he held in his mouth. He crushed the organ and let it drain its blood into a thick pool right in front of him, and then he spat out what he had in his mouth. The ungodly mixture bubbled and steamed, and when he placed his crimson ring, the blood bubbled and boiled. "Iiiiitaaachiiiiii..." Sasuke growled. "Wheeeeeere..." the Red Lantern asked, his sight focused on a human-shaped pattern in the blood and another Lantern symbol close to it.

* * *

On a remote mountaintop, far from any country, Uchiha Itachi dismissed his most complex construct yet. The large sphere-shaped device with various monitors, dials, and interfaces dissolved into a mist of light as quickly as it had been built, and receded back into Itachi's ring.

"This machine performed better than I expected," he said. "Its firepower pierced between the dimensions and was able to strike Madara even as his body was shifted." As the last of the construct returned back into his ring, he brought his hand close to his face. "It appears I am in your debt. Your advice was most helpful... Sinestro." A golden image appeared over the ring's head, and despite the occasional distortion, the mustached visage of the yellow corps' leader was clearly distinguishable.

"_You did not disappoint_," a voice from his ring answered. "_It is good to know at least one Earthman truly knows how to manipulate fear. Perhaps there is potential for your species yet_."

"Your disdain for humans aside, I have confirmed that there is only one Green Lantern here at this time. This... Hal Jordan you speak of is nowhere to be found."

"_Then we are fortunate_," Sinestro answered. "_Neither Jordan, nor the rest of his corps or any other corps for that matter, has discovered the link between our universes yet_."

"How do you wish to proceed? No doubt you heard my ultimatum towards my former colleagues." Itachi's words were as much a question as they were a threat.

"_Since Jordan and the Alley Rat do not exist in your backwater world, I have no quarrel against it, or that little hamlet you call Konoha. However, there might be suitable candidates for me to begin the creation of a second Sinestro Corps, one that will be alone and unopposed as it spreads from Earth out to your universe to impose order in an otherwise infinitude of chaos. I will see for myself soon enough_."

"Then as I suspected, you are making plans to inspect this dimension?"

"_Sooner than you think, corpsman_," was Sinestro's answer. "_I have already reached the exit of the gateway between realms, and_-"

The sound of Sinestro's voice was suddenly cut off by a thick crackle of static. "Sinestro?" Itachi called out. "Ring, compensate."

The static eased a bit, and Sinestro's voice once more rang out: "..._re you? Te...*frshzzz*... nkskin! Y... ill not defy m_..." A loud whistling sound followed by a deafening explosion rang out from the ring, leaving even Itachi with some discomfort. Afterwards, there was nothing.

"Sinestro?" Itachi said. "Come in. Sinestro, can you hear me?" His only reply was static. "Sinestro!"

"_Thaal Sinestro is indisposed at this time_," a different, distorted voice broke through the hiss.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked.

"_Despite my reservations to interfere, I cannot allow further incursions, or further deaths_," the voice said. While the sound slowly cut away at the static, no image returned.

"What have you done with Sinestro?"

"_He is not dead, if that is your concern. Just like you, his survival is vital for the stability and wellbeing of Existence_."

The voice's reply piqued Itachi's curiosity slightly. "How so?"

"_Uchiha Itachi... it is time that we speak_."

* * *

Author's blurb: Aaaand that's as close as I'm getting to writing a lemon. Other than that, not much to say for the moment, other than to again apologize for the delay (I'm sensing a pattern here…). Events continue on, the mythos of the rings begins to manifest in Naruto's world, and little by little, the universe becomes a little brighter.

So why does it feel as if Cthulhu was about to wake up? Uchiha Madara's death was another wholly unforeseen development; one that I fear may prove catastrophic regardless of what happens next.

Light help them all…


	13. Obey the Laws Forevermore

Chapter 11: Obey the Laws Forevermore

_Ler __orak __te __Sai. __Luca. __Nok_.

Sai hovered with crossed legs over his bedroom floor. His eyes were closed and he held his indigo staff in front of him vertically. Swirls of indigo light circled around him slowly as he tried to follow Tsunade's orders and contact the rest of the Indigo Tribe.

"_Message __not __sent_," his ring stated again. Sai sighed.

"Why?" he asked once more.

"_No __Indigo __Tribes men __in __observable __universe_," was its answer, the same as the last three times.

"One more, then I shall retire for the night." Sai collected himself, closed his eyes once more, and tapped into the light of compassion. He mentally repeated the same mantra as before, identifying himself to any fellow Lantern and asking to please answer his call with compassion's guidance.

_Ler orak te Sai. Luca. Nok._

"_What __are __you __doing, __Sai_?" he heard in his mind. Past the momentary surprise, the Lantern immediately recognized it.

"Danzou-sama? I was..." he spoke, not knowing for a moment if his master would hear him. His answer came quickly.

"_I __care __not __for __your __burgeoning, __troubling __individuality. __At __least, __not __at __the __moment_," Danzou interrupted Sai in his thoughts. "_Listen __well. __I __have __a __very __important __mission __for __you_."

* * *

_My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am an officer of the Green Lantern Corps. Space Sector 2814. Lately I'm wondering if I'm the only one. No luck contacting anyone else in the Corps, not even in sectors close to me. Tsunade-no-baachan's going to be disappointed, but I can't do much for now._

_Sakura-chan __and __I __are __off-duty __today, __so __we __decided __it'd __be __a __good __time __to __train __some __more. __Neji's __recovering __well, __and __after __his __team's __help __against __Itachi, __they __wanted __a __rematch __with __a __Lantern_.

"_Konoha __Senpuu_!" Rock Lee jumped low and swung a fierce spinning kick at Naruto. The Lantern ducked low. "_Konoha __Reppuu_!" The moment Lee touched the ground he spun again, this time delivering a low sweeping kick that Naruto only barely blocked with a hastily summoned construct. The force of the impact was enough to get him off the soil, but before crashing back Naruto swiftly flew up. Once there was enough distance between them, he let loose with three armored wolf constructs that assailed Lee. Lee punched the first one square in the jaw, and the construct instantly morphed into a chain that encircled Lee's right arm. The other two wolves rushed at him, and likewise turned to metal chains that tied his left leg and torso, while their other ends fastened themselves firmly onto the training ground's soil.

"Those chains are pure willpower, Thick-Brows," Naruto told him. "No way you're breaking them even with your freaky strength."

"I don't need to break them, Naruto-kun!" Lee roared and pulled hard on the chains in his arm and leg. Though they held intact, his strength ripped them out of the ground entirely. Using his newfound freedom he ripped the third one off as well, then spun, untwisted himself, and tossed them with soil attached and all back towards Naruto. Not to be outdone, the Green Lantern dove below the attack, reattached the chains to his ring, and promptly swung them back at Lee's location. The whiplash shattered the soil and cratered the ground, but by the time the attack had struck Lee was yards away.

Nearby, Tenten showered Sakura with kunai, which the Star Sapphire deftly dodged or blocked with her own violet constructs. Tenten kept summoning bladed weapons from her massive scroll and kept up the pressure. Sakura reacted by thickening her aura and expanding it into a sphere, and dove right at her sparring partner. Tenten's weapons bounced harmlessly from Sakura's new defense.

"It's over, Tenten," Sakura said as she closed in.

"Not quite. I have one more surprise I custom built especially for Lanterns," she replied with a smirk. She summoned a large iron ball from her scroll and lobbed it at Sakura. "_Kai_!" At her command, the front half of the sphere opened and released dozens of tiny drills that peppered Sakura's aura. Fueled by Tenten's chakra, the drills ate into the Lantern's defenses just enough to weaken and crack her crystalline aura slightly. It was all Tenten needed, as the last of the chakra on each bit detonated tiny payloads within them. Specially designed iron casts at the back of the drills directed the force of the blast completely into the force field, which combined with Sakura's sudden surprise, was enough to shatter it completely. In that instant, Tenten pressed the attack, releasing a torrent of bladed weapons from the back of the original summoned sphere towards the defenseless Star Sapphire. Instinctively Sakura projected a thick, solid crystal shield against the oncoming metal rain, but as soon as she blocked the majority, she realized Tenten's true attack. The weapon specialist twisted her wrists, and the kunai that had missed the shield turned inwards. Sakura's response was to make her shield expand.

The crystal remained unmoving and solid. The kunai closed in. By the time Sakura realized her construct was barely changing and Tenten gasped, it was too late for either of them to deflect the attack.

If not for the green armor that suddenly engulfed Sakura, she would have been impaled alive.

"SAKURA!" Tenten yelled.

"SAKURA-SAN!" Lee echoed.

"Just barely..." Naruto whispered as he dismissed his construct and Sakura did so with hers. The kunai fell harmlessly to the soil. "Sakura-chan, what happened?"

"I... I'm not sure," Sakura answered once she was back on solid ground. "I wanted the shield to grow to protect me better, but I couldn't." She once again recreated the shield, then her face strained a bit, yet her construct remained the same. "I don't understand..."

"Weird," Naruto commented. He created an identical shield, then began to mold, twist, and warp it like jello or putty. "I can do that no problem."

"But remember yesterday we were saying that the rings were slightly different. Maybe mine can't change constructs."

"Not surprising," Tenten said. "Look at this. It's solid crystal," she added as she tapped the violet shield.

"But that can't be right," Naruto shook his head. "When I fought Hinata at first, her plant constructs grew."

"Yet she was fully possessed by the Predator. Maybe its powers are what allowed her to do that, but our rings can't do that normally." Sakura tried the exercise again with the same effect. "I'll keep trying in the meantime until our next training. It's getting late."

"Aw, c'mon, Sakura-chan," Naruto pouted. "We can still go a few rounds."

"I think Sakura-san has the right idea, Naruto-kun," Lee agreed with her.

"You too?"

"And so does your stomach," Tenten pointed. Naruto then felt it rumble audibly, and he laughed awkwardly while the others did so at his expense.

* * *

A quick ramen dinner at Ichiraku with the group calmed Naruto's hunger. Despite his and Lee's pleas, the girls said the had enough training for the day, with Tenten having to drag Lee away to keep him from sparring with Naruto right outside the shop. Naruto thus took the opportunity to recharge some of the ring's power.

"Ring..." he paused for a second to catch his breath, then finished: "power check."

"_Power __levels __57%_."

"That'll have to do for now." It was still a little early, so he decided to take a quick flight around the village. Without having to think it, he rose up and flew out of Ichiraku and into the sky. "I'm definitely getting better at this," he said with a grin. Once more, the villagers that were finishing their daily routines waved at him and cheered him on, giving him a pleasing satisfaction in his heart. One young girl was so excited to see him that she let go of the balloon she was holding. Naruto quickly caught it and headed down to return it.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Green Lantern-san!" the girl cheered. Before he knew it she gave him a quick peck on the cheek while her mother gave him a nodding smile.

"Be a good girl, ok?" he told her. The girl nodded, then headed back with her mother. "I'm really getting too used to this," Naruto whispered to himself as he rose back up. As he did, his sight caught the darkening sky and the brightest stars. "Might as well try to contact the Corps again before turning in." He turned towards the Hokage monument, then arced back and began to fly straight up.

"Green Lantern. A moment," he heard below him. Naruto turned around in midair and saw a cloaked, masked ninja crouched on top of the third Hokage's effigy.

"Sure. What's going on?"

"You are to relinquish your ring and come with me at once," the masked ninja said in the same monotone voice. Naruto's response was not as subdued.

"SCREW THAT! Who the heck do you think you are?" he yelled. "You… you can't be one of Baachan's ANBU!"

"I expected this response," the unknown ninja said. "Commence operation."

Dozens of cloaked ANBU with different masks shot out of the shadows of the monument and the village below. With blazing speed, they shot paper tags attached to kunais straight at Naruto. The Green Lantern barely noticed in time and expanded his force field to deflect them. While the knives themselves bounced away, the tags stuck to the aura. Naruto selectively expanded his force field and sent the tags back to his attackers. Most exploded harmlessly as he expected, but others simply puffed. More weapons materialized from the summoning tags, but these appeared inside his shield. Naruto quickly created a second bubble around him and began to spin.

"_Midori __Kaiten_!" The ANBU weapons crashed against Naruto's spinning sphere and bounced away back towards his attackers. Some dodged, while others were hit by their own kunai. Just as Naruto stopped his spin, more ANBU appeared from behind the monument.

"_Katon,__Gokyaku __no __jutsu_!"

"_Doton, __Doryudan_!"

The earth at the mountaintop muddied, and a great dragon's head spat dense shots of wet soil towards the Green Lantern. At the same time, six ANBU lobbed large balls of flame towards the lone ninja. Not wasting any time, Naruto constructed a dense shield that blocked the attacks. More fireballs and mud slammed into it, preventing a direct counterattack. From behind, he saw more attackers closing in.

"Try this!" Without dismissing his shield, Naruto turned his ring behind him. From it emerged his rendering of the snake emotional entity, which rapidly struck all of the oncoming ANBU. The construct, growing longer and longer, then turned around, coiled around the mud bullets and flames, and opened its gaping maw at the jutsu's casters. They were forced to relent and cancel their attacks to dodge the massive snake, which crashed against the dragon and devoured it whole.

"_Shishi __Enjin_!"

A dark, sickly purple box materialized all around Naruto, cutting off the snake construct from the ring and making it disappear. Naruto shot a thick laser at it, and although the cage flickered, it held.

"Dammit!" The jutsu then began to drop, forcing the blond ninja to descend along with it. Soon they landed on an empty street of the village. The bottom of the cage dissolved, but the sides and top kept going down. Just outside of it, four masked ninjas held their arms out, conjuring the prison.

"Surrender yourself and the ring, Lantern, and you will be released," the first ANBU offered.

"You're with that old fart Danzou, aren't you?" Naruto countered. "No deal!" He slammed the ring straight onto the street, then yelled: "_Midori __Gatsuuga_!" The Green Lantern disappeared inside a twisting drill that dug and churned the ground.

"Stop him!" The other Root ninjas expanded the cage to cover the bottom, but by then Naruto was gone. "Where…" Before he could ponder further, the lead ANBU Root felt a rumbling below his feet. He jumped sideways and barely avoided the Green Lantern erupting from where he had stood a few seconds before. The instant the leader landed, Naruto instantly built a catapult below him that then tossed him far away. Naruto allowed himself a moment to joke, constructed a pair of binoculars, and saw that the squad leader landed on a dirty hog sty, which thanks to the tinted lenses looked like it held green pigs.

"That oughta make some angry birds happy," he mused. He dismissed his constructs and eyed as more ANBU rushed towards him. "Can't stay fighting here and risk damaging the village. Hey, morons, over here!" Naruto rose up and flew into the forest behind the Hokage monument, with the remaining ANBU Root ninjas following in close pursuit.

"Hinata, Sakura-chan, Sai, this is Naruto. If you can hear me, I need help ASAP!"

"_Communication __with __unsanctioned __ring__wielders __is __forbidden_."

"What?" Naruto gawked as he avoided a few fireball jutsus. "What do you mean unauthorized?"

"_Non-Green __Lantern __communication __requires __Guardian __authorization_."

"I'm not even gonna ask and wait for your stupid error," Naruto scowled. "Ring, send out an urgent priority-one distress call as far and wide as you can."

"_Complying_."

"This is Uzumaki Naruto, Green Lantern of Sector 2814. I need immediate assistance. I'm being pursued by special ops teams of my own home country, and they are seeking my ring. To any Green Lanterns in range, please…"

More squads jumped from the treetops in front of Naruto. The Lantern stopped and aimed his ring at them.

"_Ninpo, __Shintenshin __no __jutsu_!"

His body suddenly tensed and then relaxed. His ring arm dropped despite his mind's protests, and the rest of the ANBU squad surrounded him.

"This is truly something," his mouth voiced despite him not making it do so. "Prepare for capture. I will remove the Lantern ring and... GAAAH!"

Naruto's mind reeled as the intruding thoughts of another screamed in pain. He could feel his body shared it, but he himself was oblivious to it. Suddenly, the Kyuubi's harsh, roaring voice joined together with two others he did not know, and the three yelled in his mind: "_**GET **__**OUT**_!" At once, the intruder left his body, and he was back in control.

"What the heck was that?" he wondered.

"Fu!" one of the ninjas yelled.

"Forget about me, get him!" another one said. The remaining ninjas sprang into action, but Naruto beat them to it first.

"_Kage __Bunshin __no __jutsu_!" Dozens of shadow clones, one for each opposing Root ninja, and each one empowered by the original's ring, materialized around Naruto and engaged his enemies head on. The clones erected constructs of all manner of shapes and sizes, from katanas and kunais to toads and dogs to enhanced projectile weapons from the Metal Country. The ANBU Root ninjas found themselves assailed from all sides, and they were hard pressed to avoid Naruto and his clones' attacks.

"This is impossible," the Root squad members said to themselves.

"If I can't contact the real corps, my clones and I will be it! You want me, you jerks? You got me, and all of the Green Lantern Corps!"

"_Warning. __Power __levels __decreasing __rapidly. __Power __levels __36%_."

"Keep up the pressure!" Fu yelled. "He can't sustain all those clones with powers for long!"

"I don't need to!" the real Naruto roared back. Aiming his ring high, he let loose with a large beam that split and rained down back towards the ground, striking every one of his attackers head on. The Root assault team collectively collapsed back to the forest, followed closely by Naruto, who swiftly adopted a ready stance.

"Who wants some more?" he smirked. The Root ninjas remained still, unconscious from the Lantern's attack.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," a voice said behind him. Naruto glanced back and saw his cry for help had been answered, at least somewhat.

"Nice of you to join the party, Sai!" he said. "Show these guys a little of what compassion can do."

"Forgive me, my friend," was his reply.

"Wha…"

"_Will_." The last thing Naruto saw was as a blinding flash of green and indigo light enveloped him.

* * *

Naruto's head throbbed as he slowly regained consciousness. His sight returned, and he found himself in a dark, open chamber, alone. He tried to stand up, but found his hands were tied behind his back and his legs fastened to a bolted metal chair. He struggled against his bonds, but the knots were tied tight and enhanced by special containment jutsus.

"He is awake," a voice echoed in the chamber. Naruto searched for the source but found nothing. A gentle tap of wood on stone caught his attention. The rhythmic thump filled the room, with each one increasing Naruto's discomfort. He focused his will and made his uniform manifest.

He gasped when nothing happened.

"It's… where did…"

"You will not find your weapon here," an older voice said from behind him. A wooden stick pressed the back of his wrists hard, sending a jolt of pain up Naruto's arm. The mystery person then walked in front of Naruto.

"You're… Danzou?" Another shock went up his arm and spread throughout his body.

"I will be the one asking the questions, Uzumaki Naruto," the old man said. He brought his cane up and held Naruto's chin up. The young ninja glared back despite his ragged breath. "I only have one question for you, and the sooner you answer it, the sooner you can go back to being a loyal Konoha ninja." Casting his non-bandaged eye straight towards Naruto, he asked: "Where is your ring, Green Lantern?"

Naruto's resistant look grew puzzled. "What did you say?" His own question was answered by a resounding thwack to his face from Danzou's cane. Despite being bolted down, the seat moved slightly.

"Again," Danzou said in the same, almost casual tone. "Where is the ring?"

"You don't have it," Naruto realized. The cane struck him again on his cheek.

"Again." Naruto spat some blood and then grinned at Danzou.

"Sucks to be you, then." He braced himself for another hit, but Danzou only tapped his cane on the floor once. He then felt a light touch on the palm of his hand. Soon after, it went numb. As the numbness spread up his arms, he tilted his head sideways as far as he could and barely caught sight of another figure behind him. Before he could ask, the figure clasped his hands together.

His arms nearly tore themselves in burning agony. He instinctively tried to pry them free, but the tight knots held fast and dug deep into his wrists. His whole body trembled and his arms convulsed violently from the pulsing pain. A desperate cry rose from his throat and filled the chamber with his anguish.

And just as fast as it had begun, the suffering ended. His breathing was still harsh but regular. He stared at the ground, eyes wide open, as a leftover sensation lingered in his tender arms.

"This is Torune, of the Aburame clan," Danzou said as he slowly paced back and forth in front of Naruto. "He has a very interesting and unique jutsu even among his peers. Unlike his kinsmen, Torune's _kikaichu_ are microscopic, and can poison you slowly at a cellular level. As you no doubt can tell by now, this is an extremely effective interrogation strategy. And don't worry, Torune has the antidote, so I don't expect there will be too much long-term damage," he added, keeping his tone entirely neutral.

"You… you bastard…" Naruto heaved.

"Now, once again," Danzou continued as he stopped right in front of the blond ninja. "The ring, if you would be so kind?"

"Come closer," Naruto whispered. Danzou bent down to stare right into Naruto's gaze. "Bite me."

Danzou stood up straight again and sighed. "Don't disappoint me," he told the ninja behind the younger one. Naruto bit his lip as the numbing sensation returned to his arms and now spread to his legs.

He lasted five seconds before he passed out.

* * *

A lightly cloudy afternoon sky greeted Sakura when she finally finished her nursing duties at the hospital. Though tired, she was excited. Today, Team Gai wanted to train again, and this time Neji would be joining them. Also, Hinata and Sai were free along with Naruto, so the thought of the four Lanterns training together again brought a smile to her face.

Sakura reached into her pocket and felt the smooth surface of her ring. She discreetly ducked into a side alley and placed it on. As her Star Sapphire uniform manifested around her, she breathed deep as her heart swelled with love. For a slight instant, she felt an extra heartbeat. "Now I know how Naruto feels like," she said as she placed her hand on her chest. "I hope you're comfortable in there, Predator, because you'll be staying asleep for a long time," she added half-seriously. She glanced up once more, and shot into the sky in a bright flash of violet light.

"Sakura-san, wait for me," she heard behind her. Sakura turned around and saw another woman encased in a violet aura just like hers.

"Hinata! What a coincidence. Heading to the training site?"

"Yes," the Hyuuga girl nodded. "Neji-niisan met Lee-san and Tenten-san and should be arriving at the training site shortly."

"We better not be late, then," Sakura said. The two Lanterns sped away in unison out towards the training grounds. Sakura observed how Hinata flew straight ahead, looking forward, and with a stable aura and bright ring. "You seem to be adjusting to your ring quickly."

"Oh, yes," she said. "Naruto-kun is an excellent teacher."

"I bet he is," Sakura smirked.

"S-s-s-Sakura-san!" Hinata blushed fiercely.

"I'm just teasing, you Hinata," Sakura giggled. "But I mean it. You seem more in control and confident with it."

"I still have to master it," the Hyuuga Lantern said. She stared up front, and added: "This morning Neji-niisan and I sparred for a while, and we were evenly matched despite my new powers."

"Hm?" Sakura quipped. As Hinata spoke, she could see a hint of a proud smile. "Did you beat him eventually?"

"No. Before we could continue, otou-sama asked me if I could help with some overdue repairs to an older section of the clan compound."

"That's too bad, then."

"It's alright," Hinata shook her head. "In a way, I'm happy."

"How so?"

"Neji-niisan and I barely noticed him, even with our _Byakugan_. But I do remember his face." Hinata then glanced at Sakura, who was surprised by the sudden glow of her ring aura . "Otou-sama was smiling."

"Hinata..." Sakura whispered. Before she could say anything else, Hinata arced down and landed on the training grounds. Sakura smiled to herself and followed her fellow Sapphire down. When she landed, she found that Team Gai was already present.

"Ready for round two?" Tenten joked at Sakura.

"You bet! I have a few ideas I want to try out."

"Where is Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. "I imagined he would be here by now."

"It's not normal for Naruto to be late, especially when he is excited about something," Neji mentioned.

"The idiot probably overslept," Sakura scoffed.

"Calm down, Sakura-san. I see him," said Lee. He pointed towards the sky, and the whole group saw a green streak of light closing on where they were.

"That's better," Tenten said. She was about to say something else when the streak passed them overhead and kept going. "What the..."

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata wasted no time and flew in close pursuit of Naruto.

"Wait up, Hinata!" Sakura yelled as she rose and followed her. Team Gai did the same from the ground. When the two Sapphires caught up to the source of the green light, they gasped.

"The ring?" Sakura said.

"_Fatal __error. __No __Green __Lanterns __in __observable __universe. __Unable __to __deliver __message. __Unable __to __locate __replacement_."

"If the ring is by itself... is Naruto..." Sakura barely said with a raspy voice.

"NO!" Hinata created a dense crystal shell around the green ring. It bumped and crashed against the walls of her construct, but despite its strength Hinata's power held it in check. The two Sapphires descended back to the ground, where Team Gai caught up with them.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked.

"It's just Naruto's ring," Sakura mouthed. "He..."

"That's impossible... Naruto-kun..." Lee stammered.

"Ring, locate Uzumaki Naruto-kun," Hinata told her ring.

"_Subject __Uzumaki __Naruto __located __within __a __ten __kilometer __radius. __Unable __to __pinpoint __location. __Unidentified __energy __field __hampering __scan_."

"He's alive," Neji sighed with relief.

"But what happened to him?" Lee asked.

"_Fatal __error. __No __Green __Lanterns __in __observable __universe. __Unable __to __deliver __message. __Unable __to __locate __replacement_."

"What message?" Sakura asked the ring. "Play it."

"_Communication __with __unsanctioned __ring__wielders __is __forbidden_."

"You have no choice," Hinata countered, this time with a strict tone of voice none of the others had ever heard from her. "There are no other Green Lanterns to hear it, and no one else for you to pick as a replacement. So deliver your message, and let us save your ringbearer!"

"Hinata..." Sakura uttered as she saw Hinata's reaction to the situation.

The green ring remained silent for a while. Suddenly, Naruto's garbled voice rung out for all of the gathered ninjas to hear: "_This __is __Uzumaki __Naruto, __Green __Lantern __of S__ector __2814. __I __need __immediate __assistance. __I__'__m __being __pursued __by __special __ops __teams __of __my __own __home __country, __and __they __are __seeking __my __ring. __To __any __Green __Lanterns __in __range, __please_…" The message cut off suddenly, and then the ring fell silent again.

"Special ops teams?" Tenten questioned. "You don't suppose ANBU..."

"Impossible," Neji countered. "Hokage-sama fully supports Naruto. She would never permit..."

"Danzou," Sakura hissed. "Him and his ANBU Root bastards. They tried to capture Hinata once when she was unconscious, and now they've got Naturo."

"Who?" Lee asked.

"An ultra-secret division of ANBU headed by Shimura Danzou, a former candidate for the Hokage position during Sandaime-sama's time," Sakura explained. "They answer to no one, not even Tsunade-sama, except to him." Sakura punched the ground and left a noticeable crater. "Sai... that bastard... he's probably in on it too! That's why he's not here either!"

"We must inform Hokage-sama immediately," Neji suggested. Despite his usual neutral tone, the others could sense that he too was hiding his concern and anger.

"Neji-niisan, please do," Hinata said. "But I'm going after Naruto." Her and Sakura's ring auras flared.

"Wait, you'll need backup," Lee volunteered.

"There's no time," Sakura said. "Tell Tsunade-sama what's happened. She may know where Root's hideout is. We'll find him."

"But..." Lee protested.

"Understood. Good luck," Tenten told her fellow kunoichi. She and Neji nodded and stepped back, and the two Sapphires were gone in a flash of light. Tenten and her Jounin comrade then turned and jumped to the nearest tree in the direction of Tsunade's office, but stopped when they saw Lee still standing.

"Lee? Come on, we have to get to Hokage-sama," Tenten told him.

"The two of you go ahead. It would be against my nindo to leave Hinata-san and Sakura-san alone against an entire black ops squad!" Before Neji or Tenten could protest, Lee dashed off in pursuit of two Lanterns.

"Lee!" his teammates yelled out, but he was gone by the time their cry left their throats.

"So how do you propose we find him?" Sakura asked Hinata in mid-flight. They closed in on the village, with Hinata still holding Naruto's Green Lantern ring encased in a crystal construct of her creation.

"I... I don't know," she answered.

"Danzou's goons must have some special jutsu that's distorting our ring's scans," Sakura mused. "We'll have to search house by house."

"That will take too long, Sakura-san!" Hinata protested. She stopped and hovered in the air, forcing Sakura to stop as well.

"He's strong, Hinata," Sakura comforted her fellow Sapphire. She placed a hand on her shoulder and said: "He'll hold on until we can find him."

Hinata tensed up and placed a hand over her chest. Her heart began to pump faster. Sakura began to share her deep concern. "Naruto-kun..."

"_Star __Sapphire __Haruno __Sakura_."

"_Star __Sapphire __Hyuuga __Hinata_."

The two girls held their rings up in surprise at their sudden announcement. The rings then spoke in unison: "_A __power-hungry __human __is __placing __an __eternal __love __in __jeopardy. __The __heart __is __being __attacked __in __Sector __2814_." The two rings suddenly flashed and projected their combined lights into a much more detailed map of Konoha than before. The signal zoomed in on a very specific spot on the map.

"How..."

"It's you, Hinata," Sakura smiled. "Your feelings for Naruto... they're allowing our rings to pinpoint where he is!"

Hinata gazed at the map once again. Without having to say anything, her _Byakugan_ activated, and then she closed her hands into tight fists. "Rings, take us there. Now."

The rings again said in unison: "_Three __hearts __attuned. __Tether __connected_." A bright beam of violet light erupted from Hinata's heart and shot out into the distance and back into the village.

"Let's go say hello to Root," Sakura grinned. But just as they were about to depart, they saw a green blur whizz past them.

"Come, Sakura-san, Hinata-san! Naruto is waiting for us!"

"Who... Lee?" Sakura gawked. They sped after him, following the trail of light their rings projected from Hinata's chest.

"Lee-san? What are you doing? It's too dangerous!" Hinata told him once they caught up.

"Naruto-kun is my friend as well. It would be shameful if I didn't help him out too!" Lee said.

"The two of us are the only ones that stand a chance to get Naruto back. We may be going up against all of ANBU Root."

"All the more reason I should join you, Sakura-san!" Lee countered. He looked over his shoulder and gave Sakura a thumbs-up sign. "I told you years ago, during our first Chuunin exam. I'll protect you until the day I die! To protect those that are special to me... that's my nindo!"

"_Emotional __resonance __confirmed_."

"What the..." the three of them said.

"_Replacement __located_." The green ring suddenly broke through Hinata's construct. "_Rock __Lee __of __the __planet __Earth. __You __have __the __ability __to __overcome __great __fear_." Without warning, it slipped into his middle right finder.

"Lee!"

"Lee-san!"

"_Welcome __to __the __Green __Lantern __Corps_."

* * *

When Naruto came to, the pain in his extremities subsided under the warm glow of a bright light. He opened his eyes and saw that the indigo light cascaded out of a single pod. Once it subsided, he discerned the wood and coral staff, as well as its owner, Sai.

"Nok."

The bolted chair almost came off its hinges as Naruto lunged at Sai.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Naruto roared. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY RING?"

"Please calm down, Naruto-kun," Sai asked him, "or you may alert the guards."

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Naruto yelled back. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I'VE HAD TO GO THROUGH THANKS TO YOU?"

"I do, and I apologize," Sai said as he bowed. "I did not expect Danzou-sama to be so inhospitable to a fellow Konoha ninja."

"To hell with your apologies!" Naruto struggled to break loose again but the binding jutsu held strong. "Get me out of here!"

"I..." Sai stammered for a moment. "I cannot. I am not allowed to disobey Danzou-sama."

"You can't, or won't?" Naruto spat. "Why do you still follow his orders anyway? You've seen what he'll do to get what he wants!"

"I cannot say either," Sai answered. He then opened his mouth and held out his tongue. Just as Naruto was about to yell at him again for the insult, he noticed a seal tattooed on it. "Should I try to divulge information about Danzou-sama, this jutsu would immediately paralyze me completely. And if I were to disobey, I suspect it could even kill me."

"If you're feeling so sorry," Naruto said, "tell me at least if you know where my ring went."

"I'm sorry, I do not," Sai shook his head. "My attack ceased your life signs just long enough for the ring to consider you deceased. While I healed you, the ring flew away to parts unknown."

At this, Naruto went from anger to worry. "Gone? My ring... it's gone?" Sai merely nodded.

Naruto stared at Sai for a few moments, then hung his head down. Sai continued: "I hope you do understand, Naruto-kun. I realize you do not know where it went, so I will see what I can do to release you sooner."

"Trash," Naruto whispered.

"Pardon?"

"Just remembered my very first lesson from Kakashi-sensei," Naruto continued. "I guess I understand. You're just a ninja following orders."

"Nok," Sai assented. "I'm glad you..."

"'Those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are called trash'. That's what Kakashi-sensei told us on our very first training session. But then he said something else." Naruto then shot his head up and cast a menacing glare at Sai, one that unnerved the Root ninja.

"_Fear_," his ring said.

"Those who don't take care of their comrades... ARE WORSE THAN TRASH!"

"Naruto..." Sai whispered.

"Awake once more, I see?" a voice rang out from behind Sai. The Indigo Lantern stepped aside and knelt on one knee in respect. Behind him approached Danzou, and behind him Aburame Torune. "You seem rather vigorous."

"Yeah, thank your lackey for that," Naruto spat, glaring at Sai once more. Danzou followed his sight and examined Sai, who remained absolutely still.

"Interesting. His ring's healing abilities do possess some merit if they were able to restore you despite Torune's poison," Danzou commented with a hint of interest. "But there will be time for that later. Now..." Once again, Torune stood at Naruto's side, Sai stood up behind his master, while Danzou stepped forward and leaned towards him. "Let's begin again. Where is the Green Lantern ring?"

"Don't know. Doesn't matter anymore. Get it over with." He tensed up and waited for Torune's touch. To his mild surprise, it never came.

"Why do you resist? Don't you understand?" Danzou asked him, with what appeared to be a mild attempt at gentleness. "In the proper hands, this power ring could ensure the primacy of Konoha among the rest of the villages. No one would oppose us, not even Orochimaru or _Akatsuki_. I simply wish for the ring to be in more... capable hands."

"And by that, I guess you mean you, right old man?" Naruto guessed. "Maybe I'm not the best ninja yet. But even if the ring hadn't picked me, it would pass you up in a heartbeat. You're just a greedy, cowardly old fart that hides in the shadows and lets his goons do the dirty work. All you want the ring for is for your own good, not Konoha's! What the hell do you know about sacrifice, fighting for what you believe, and willpower?"

"Sacrifice?" Danzou repeated. "I don't know sacrifice?"

Before he knew it, Naruto found himself tossed back to the ground, still tied to the chair, which was ripped from its bolts from the sheer strength of Danzou's strike. Before he had a chance to grunt, Danzou was at his throat. "You insolent little brat! What do you know about sacrifice?" the old man yelled. His uncovered eye shot open and stared hatefully right at the blonde ninja. "Do you have any idea what I've sacrificed, who I've lost, to ensure Konoha's safety? I watched my mentor, Nidaime-sama, lose his life just to protect our lowly squad! I've turned dozens of capable ninjas into soulless weapons all in the service of the village! I've given my eye and arm to the gain of the Leaf! Why did such a weapon choose a lowly, no-talent hack whose only purpose is to hold the Kyuubi? Tell me that, Uzumaki Naruto! TELL ME!" Naruto could not answer the old man's rambling, whose hands tightened around his throat and made him gasp for air.

"Danzou-sama, if you continue, you may kill..."

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Danzou turned and yelled at Sai. "I've had enough of your insolence as well! If you question me again, I will rethink my decision to let you keep your own ring!" He then returned his attention to Naruto. "And as for you, Jinchuuriki..."

He let go of Naruto the moment he saw a thin beam of violet light touch the boy's chest.

"_Tether __targeted. __Heartbreaker __located_." The light then slammed the old man's heart and sent him reeling. Naruto coughed and drew in a big gulp of air.

"What..." Danzou, and then the rest of the gathered ninjas glanced up. A descending, glowing green flash illuminated the chamber, revealing its massive network of caverns, bridges, and central spire. Flanked by two violet sources of light, the three figures descended and cratered the ground upon landing near the group.

"_In __brightest __day, __in __blackest __night,  
__the power of youth fuels my might!  
__To those that serve injustice and fright,  
__Konoha's __Green __Beast __will __set __you __right_!"

"Th... Thick-Brows?" Naruto gawked. In between Sakura and a really angry-looking Hinata, Rock Lee beamed and flaunted the Green Lantern ring that now adorned his right middle finger. His uniform was the standard Lantern one Naruto wore initially, but his aura was noticeably different from the former Green Lantern. Lee's pulsed and raged as a roaring flame, lighting up the massive chamber with its fiery dance.

"Stop them!" Danzou yelled. At once the chamber filled with dozens of masked ANBU Root ninjas, all ready to attack. But before even the first few began making hand seals, Lee was among them all, kicking, punching, and somersaulting the squadron so quickly that all anyone could see were blurs.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Sakura asked while Hinata cut the harnesses and overpowered the jutsus holding him prisoner.

"Yeah. How did…"

"We got your ring. Hinata and I were coming to rescue you when Lee joined up. Apparently it was enough for the ring to pick him in your stead."

Naruto watched as Lee continued his assault on the ANBU. Much like his ninja skills, he did not use any constructs, but rather relied on a massive speed and strength boost provided by the ring to fell his opponents. Whether he was unable to create constructs or did not want to, Naruto couldn't tell. Not that it seemed to matter; for every new Root that appeared, three fell under Lee's relentless assault.

"You traitors!" Danzou yelled. "How dare you attack…" He had to stop and dodge an incoming blast from Hinata.

"If you harm Naruto-kun again, I won't forgive you!" the raven-haired Sapphire threatened as she dashed over Sakura and Naruto and nearly crushed Danzou with a ball-and-chain construct.

"Insufferable little witch! Sai, do not let the Jinchuuriki get away!"

After a moment's hesitation, Sai slowly stepped towards Sakura and Naruto. "I… I must…"

"Not one step closer," Sakura spit as she summoned a hail of kunai constructs.

"WOOHOO! WATCH ME, GAI-SENSEI! THE POWER OF YOUTH TRULY SHINES THIS DAY!" Lee yelled enthusiastically as he tore effortlessly through the ranks of Root. The few ninjas that were able to cast any jutsu found that the Green Lantern's overloaded aura dispelled them completely. Seconds later, any jutsu caster found himself at the receiving end of Lee's attacks.

"_Warning. __Willpower __exceeding __power __ring __capabilities. __Power __levels __23%_."

"Do you have any idea who I am, little girl?" Danzou asked as he blocked a palm strike from Hinata with his cane.

"I do. You're the one that ordered Naruto-kun's capture. That is enough for me." Danzou blocked her next attack from her right hand, but before he could counter she summoned a crystal collar, wrapped it around his neck, and tossed him face-down to the ground.

"Please, Sakura-san, I do not wish to fight you," Sai said as he blocked another swarm of kunai from her ring using a green shield.

"Then stand down! I'm not backing off!" She then created a coffin around Sai and snapped it shut. Sai quickly broke through by expanding an aura of green and indigo light that popped the prison open.

"I must follow Danzou-sama's orders. Forgive me, Sakura-san. _Ninpo, __Ai __Choujo __Giga_!" Without warning, he created numerous indigo-hued, artistic-styled animals that surrounded Sakura and Naruto.

"I can fight!"

"Leave this to me, Naruto," Sakura said. Sai's jutsu beasts leapt forward. Sakura encased Naruto in a violet bubble, then created spiked crystal knuckles for herself. A wolf leapt at her, and Sakura promptly punched it hard enough to dissipate the beast in a splash of ink. A tiger pounced while she recovered, but Sakura twisted at the last second and kicked the construct in the gut, making it promptly vanish. She dodged and counterattacked each animal as it approached, and despite Sai refreshing the technique continuously, Sakura deftly dispatched the pack. Sai then increased the pressure, summoning a massive green bear. Sakura tightened her knuckles and punched his construct in the stomach with her massive strength, but this time the apparition held strong, much to her shock.

"What?"

"Finish this quickly," Sai commanded. The bear construct took a massive swing at Sakura, who barely ducked under its claw and kicked it hard in the knees. The bear buckled but fell deliberately in an attempt to crush Sakura. The violet Lantern rapidly summoned a spiked shield construct right above her that impaled the bear. Sai waved his hand, and his animal morphed into a heavy squid that began to reach below Sakura's shield.

"You are surrounded, Sakura-san," Sai told her. "I know of your constructs' weakness and solidity."

"You're right, they're not malleable," Sakura answered. "But no one said I couldn't improvise!" With that, more violet crystals began to grow around the existing shield, adding to its mass until they became finely sharp edges. With a deft move, Sakura sliced the squid's tentacles, then grew the shield's crystal spikes until they skewered Sai's construct whole. Once it dissolved, her construct broke apart, and then reformed into a copy version of the Predator. "Let's see how much you really like animals!"

"Someone stop him!" Torune yelled at the few remaining Root ninjas.

"WOOOOAAAAHHH!" Lee roared. His willpower and speed tore through his opponents with such ferocity that a single kick toppled half a dozen ninjas, and a single punch sent shockwaves of air and chakra all around him. Fuu did his best to try and cast a mental jutsu, but it was all he could do to follow the emerald blurs all around him. One lucky ninja managed to cast a shadow bind jutsu that slowed Lee for a mere instant, allowing Torune, his skin already purple from the concentration of microscopic bugs on it, to grab the overloaded Green Lantern in an attempt to poison him.

"AAAAARRRGGHHH!"

Torune let go of Lee, his whole skin smoking and pale, as the contact with the Lantern's flaming aura eradicated the bugs.

"That was too close!" Lee said. "Let's try this out!" He turned his ring at Torune and concentrated. It took two seconds, but he let out a faint, scruffy-looking copy of Gai that knocked out Torune.

"_Warning. __Will power __exceeding __power __ring __capabilities. __Power __levels __16%_."

"You insolent little Hyuuga," Danzou hissed as he stood up, his back turned towards Hinata. "If I had known you were capable of such treachery, I would have ordered you killed the moment you arrived at the hospital."

"Your words are meaningless," Hinata countered. "We're taking Naruto-kun, and you will leave us alone from now on."

"You really have no idea what I'm capable of, don't you?" Danzou then let the bandages around his left eye, already torn from Hinata's earlier attack, slip down and fall to the ground. "You will regret ever having challenged me!" He turned around.

"Is that..." Hinata gasped. Her _Byakugan_ ability saw a massive rise in the old man's chakra, all concentrated around the unwrapped eye.

"_Sharingan_!" Danzou yelled. Hinata took a step back from the surprise, while the three _tomoe_ around his red eye began to spin. When he took a deep breath, Hinata readied herself. "_Futon, __Shinkugyoku_!" A forceful gust of wind erupted from Danzou's mouth, and Hinata created a wall of crystal in front of her for protection. Even so, bullets of super-dense air blasted the construct, some of them even passing through from sheer attrition. The instant the jutsu ended, Danzou took another deep breath. "_Futon, __Shinkuha_!" A blade of concentrated wind rushed towards Hinata. The Star Sapphire flew up just in time as Danzou's attack finally broke her construct.

"He... he destroyed my crystal? How..."

"You have no time to dawdle, girl," Danzou said from just behind her. "_Futon, __Shi_..."

Danzou stopped and raised his formerly hidden right arm to block Lee's sudden strike. The Green Lantern's leg struck massive gauntlets that covered his entire bandaged arm. Despite the Lantern-enhanced kick, the Root leader's protection held.

"The _Sharingan_ sees all, boy. Even your new speed."

"_Konoha __Daisenpuu_!" Lee spun in midair and aimed another strong kick at Danzou's face. In the split second he spun, Danzou grabbed Hinata and tossed her to his side, right in the path of Lee's attack. Lee desperately tried to hold back, but by the time he noticed he'd already hit Hinata below her ribcage.

"GYAH!" she screamed as she was sent flying back down and then struck the ground hard.

"HINATA-SAN!" Lee yelled, horrified as to what he'd done. This let Danzou slam his gauntlet onto Lee and lariat him back down to the floor. Lee broke free and in a split second somersaulted back, and rushed at Danzou with a strong right hand punch. Danzou's _Sharingan_ allowed him to anticipate and block the strike, but Lee pivoted his arm just enough so the ring was aimed right at Danzou's temple.

"Gotcha!" Lee grit his teeth and poured his will into the ring.

"_Warning. __Willpower __exceeding __power __ring __capabilities. __Power __levels __7%_."

"As I thought," Danzou said. "Despite your enthusiasm and resolve, your willpower is inadequate for the ring." The old ninja twisted his arm and locked Lee's, then performed a single one-handed seal. "_Futon,__Shinkugyoku_!" At point blank range, the air bullets smashed against Lee's chakra and Lantern aura. Though the latter blunted the attack, Danzou's jutsu struck him hard and sent him crashing close to Sakura.

"Lee-san!" Sakura rushed to his aid, but in that split second Sai encased her in a thick, solid force field of indigo and green light.

"Good work, Sai," Danzou said. "Now, take all their rings and give them to me."

"You damned fart!" Out of nowhere, dozens of clones leapt towards Danzou, but in a single motion Danzou struck them all and made them vanish in puffs of smoke.

"I'm not done with you yet, Jinchuuriki. You're next." The real Naruto stood defiantly in between Danzou and a recovering Hinata.

"Dammit, Sai, can't you see it now?" he asked his former teammate. "You said we were friends! Are you really going to betray friends to this greedy bastard?"

"I… I'm of the foundation of the Leaf…"

"YOU'RE BREAKING THE VERY FOUNDATION OF TRUST THE LEAF STANDS FOR!" Naruto pleaded.

"You're truly deluded, boy," Danzou scoffed. "The world of the ninja is one of emotionless battle. Only tools to be used to enforce peace. Sai knows that. You do not. Now, take their rings!"

"I... you…" Sai hesitated again.

"Give me their rings, Sai, NOW!"

"Sai, you know better than this!" Naruto pleaded. "Where's your compassion?"

"Compassion… I…"

"That's enough." Danzou made a quick seal with his hands. Sai silently gasped and collapsed to the ground, clutching at his throat.

"Sai! What are you doing to him?"

"A dulled tool is worthless, and must be discarded." Danzou tightened his fingers, and Sai gasped again.

"SAI!" The young Root ninja's eyes suddenly shot open, his pupils replaced by the Indigo Tribe's symbol.

"_Ler __orak __te __Sai. __Luca. __Klok __ner_!" an echoing voice from his ring and mouth rang forth. Sai stuck out his tongue, where Danzou's root seal had expanded all over it. His hand swiftly moved to his face, and his ring blasted a beam that created a second seal on top of Danzou's.

"You!" Danzou yelled and lunged at Sai. The Lantern swiftly stood up and stabbed the bottom tip of his staff to the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked his superior back. The instant Danzou landed in a kneeling position, Sai expanded the sphere that covered Sakura to encase Naruto, Hinata, an unconscious Lee and himself as well.

"_Compassion __locked_."

"NO!" Danzou roared. He dashed towards the Lantern group, but by the time he took a third step they were gone.

* * *

"You alright, Thick-Brows?"

Lee groggily sat up and massaged his head. He glanced up and saw Naruto sitting next to him, now wearing his Green Lantern uniform again and the emerald power ring. "Naruto-kun? When did you..."

"I'm back, I guess. The ring picked me again when you passed out."

"That was some serious power, Naruto-kun," Lee commented looking downward.

"Hey, don't be like that!" Naruto cheered him. "You kicked some major butt with it! When I find the Corps I'll put in a good word for you."

Lee glanced past Naruto, seeing Sakura and Hinata talking while standing and Sai floating in midair, his back towards the others. Looking around, he saw they were in a small forest clearing. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Somewhere outside Konoha," Naruto told him. "Sai sorta… I dunno, teleported us out of Danzou's lair."

"We took us to safety," Sai said with a deeper tone of voice. "Danzou would have captured us all, and taken the lights for himself."

"That… doesn't sound like Sai-kun," Lee commented.

"We are still Sai," he answered. "But we are also much more. Sai's compassion faltered upon conflict with his lifelong duty. But our duty to the light, and to all life, is above the petty interests of a single human."

"You… you're the indigo ring?" Sakura deduced.

"Correct, Star Sapphire," the Indigo Lantern nodded. "There is much to do to prevent the dark vision your sister in light saw from coming to pass."

"Never mind that!" Naruto protested. "Let Sai go now!"

"Calm yourself, Green Lantern," Sai said. "We shall, once the time is right."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lee asked.

"Sai must learn the true nature of compassion before he is fully prepared. We will see to that," his ring explained. "The rest of you have another important task ahead of you." A thick mist flowed from Sai's indigo pod, then formed a screen that projected an image of seven rings, each one with a different symbol. "Like your rings, we were damaged as we emerged into this world. But we know that all seven lights have come, and will soon choose their Lanterns if they have not done so already."

"Green, indigo, violet and yellow are accounted for," Sakura said. "What about the others?"

"And... the entities? They too?" Hinata added.

"The red ring has almost certainly chosen a bearer. Such is the gripping nature of rage. The orange light of avarice will similarly seek a suitable owner. And like your entity of love, a strong presence may evoke the awakening of the other emotional embodiments."

"What do you want to do?" Naruto asked. "I say we go find these other bad Lanterns and kick their butts!"

"You three have another important task. The final light will not choose a bearer lightly, for they must possess a deep resolve for the sacredness of life. Seek out the blue light of hope. Only then, united, will we be ready."

"Ready for what?" Naruto quipped. "Why can't you rings talk any sense?"

"We empathize with your frustration. Perhaps once the lights are gathered, we may answer. For now, we must take our leave. Remember our counsel. Farewell, fellow Lanterns." With that, the indigo mist enveloped Sai, and in a flash of light, he was gone. The four ninjas were left alone in the dark forest.

"Ok, so... where do we start looking?"

* * *

Author's blurb: …

…

F$#ing pigs. Excuse me while I go play some more Angry Birds. DIE, PIGS; DIE!

Hopefully by now everyone's ok with my delays, and knows that I do intend to finish this story. At least this time I have a good excuse. Let's just say I met the Star Sapphire of my life :)


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